Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Clothes Dryers and Room Air Conditioners, 52854-52862 [2011-21640]
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52854
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Energy efficiency
ratio, effective from
Oct. 1, 2000 to
May 31, 2014
Product class
16. Casement-Slider ............................................................................................................................
*
*
*
*
*
(h) Clothes dryers. (1) Gas clothes
dryers manufactured after January 1,
1988 shall not be equipped with a
constant burning pilot.
(2) Clothes dryers manufactured on or
after May 14, 1994 and before January
1, 2015, shall have an energy factor no
less than:
Energy
factor
(lbs/kWh)
Product class
i. Electric, Standard (4.4 ft3 or
greater capacity) ...................
ii. Electric, Compact (120V)
(less than 4.4 ft3 capacity) ....
iii. Electric, Compact (240V)
(less than 4.4 ft3 capacity) ....
iv. Gas ......................................
3.01
3.13
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
10 CFR Part 430
[Docket Number EERE–2007–BT–STD–
0010]
RIN 1904–AA89
Energy Conservation Program: Energy
Conservation Standards for
Residential Clothes Dryers and Room
Air Conditioners
Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Notice of effective date and
compliance dates for direct final rule.
AGENCY:
DOE published a direct final
rule to establish amended energy
conservation standards for residential
clothes dryers and room air conditioners
(3) Clothes dryers manufactured on or in the Federal Register on April 21,
2011. DOE has determined that the
after January 1, 2015, shall have a
adverse comments received in response
combined energy factor no less than:
to the direct final rule do not provide a
reasonable basis for withdrawing the
Combined
direct final rule. Therefore, DOE
energy
Product class
factor
provides this document confirming
(lbs/kWh)
adoption of the energy conservation
standards established in the direct final
i. Vented Electric, Standard
3 or greater capacity) ...
(4.4 ft
3.73 rule and announcing the effective date
of those standards. DOE also published
ii. Vented Electric, Compact
a proposed rule to amend the
(120V) (less than 4.4 ft3 capacity) ....................................
3.61 compliance dates set forth in the direct
final rule on May 9, 2011. Elsewhere in
iii. Vented Electric, Compact
today’s Federal Register, DOE publishes
(240V) (less than 4.4 ft3 capacity) ....................................
3.27 a final rule which adopts the
iv. Vented Gas ..........................
3.30 compliance dates set forth in its
v. Ventless Electric, Compact
proposed rule published on May 9,
(240V) (less than 4.4 ft3 ca2011.
SUMMARY:
2.90
2.67
pacity) ....................................
vi. Ventless Electric, Combination Washer-Dryer .................
*
*
*
*
2.55
2.08
*
[FR Doc. 2011–21639 Filed 8–23–11; 8:45 am]
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The direct final rule published
on April 21, 2011 (76 FR 22454) was
effective on August 19, 2011. Pursuant
to the document published elsewhere in
today’s Federal Register, compliance
with the standards in the direct final
rule will be required on June 1, 2014 for
room air conditioners and on January 1,
2015 for clothes dryers.
ADDRESSES: The docket is available for
review at regulations.gov, including
Federal Register notices, framework
documents, public meeting attendee
lists and transcripts, comments, and
other supporting documents/materials.
All documents in the docket are listed
in the regulations.gov index. Not all
documents listed in the index may be
publicly available, such as information
DATES:
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9.5
Combined energy efficiency ratio,
effective as of
June 1, 2014
10.4
that is exempt from public disclosure. A
link to the docket Web page can be
found at https://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Stephen L. Witkowski, U.S. Department
of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency
and Renewable Energy, Building
Technologies Program, EE–2J, 1000
Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20585–0121; telephone:
(202) 586–7463; e-mail:
Stephen.Witkowski@ee.doe.gov.
Ms. Elizabeth Kohl, U.S. Department
of Energy, Office of the General Counsel,
GC–71, 1000 Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20585–0121;
telephone: (202) 586–7796; e-mail:
Elizabeth.Kohl@hq.doe.gov.
For further information on how to
submit or review public comments or
view hard copies of the docket, contact
Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 586–2945
or e-mail: Brenda.Edwards@ee.doe.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Authority and Rulemaking
Background
As amended by Energy Independence
and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007;
Pub. L. 110–140), the Energy Policy and
Conservation Act authorizes DOE to
issue a direct final rule establishing an
energy conservation standard on receipt
of a statement submitted jointly by
interested persons that are fairly
representative of relevant points of view
(including representatives of
manufacturers of covered products,
States, and efficiency advocates) as
determined by the Secretary of Energy
(Secretary), that contains
recommendations with respect to an
energy conservation standard that are in
accordance with the provisions of 42
U.S.C. 6295(o). A notice of proposed
rulemaking (NOPR) that proposes an
identical energy conservation standard
must be published simultaneously with
the final rule, and DOE must provide a
public comment period of at least 110
days on the direct final rule. 42 U.S.C.
6295(p)(4). Not later than 120 days after
issuance of the direct final rule, if one
or more adverse comments or an
alternative joint recommendation are
received relating to the direct final rule,
the Secretary must determine whether
the comments or alternative
recommendation may provide a
reasonable basis for withdrawal under
42 U.S.C. 6295(o) or other applicable
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law. If the Secretary makes such a
determination, DOE must withdraw the
direct final rule and proceed with the
simultaneously published NOPR. DOE
must publish in the Federal Register the
reasons why the direct final rule was
withdrawn. Id.
During the rulemaking proceeding to
consider amending energy conservation
standards for residential clothes dryers
and room air conditioners, DOE
received the ‘‘Agreement on Minimum
Federal Efficiency Standards, Smart
Appliances, Federal Incentives and
Related Matters for Specified
Appliances’’ (the ‘‘Joint Petition’’ or
‘‘Consensus Agreement’’), a comment
submitted by groups representing
manufacturers (the Association of Home
Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM),
Whirlpool Corporation (Whirlpool),
General Electric Company (GE),
Electrolux, LG Electronics, Inc. (LG),
BSH Home Appliances (BSH), Alliance
Laundry Systems (ALS), Viking Range,
Sub-Zero Wolf, Friedrich A/C, U–Line,
Samsung, Sharp Electronics, Miele, Heat
Controller, AGA Marvel, Brown Stove,
Haier, Fagor America, Airwell Group,
Arcelik, Fisher & Paykel, Scotsman Ice,
Indesit, Kuppersbusch, Kelon, and
DeLonghi); energy and environmental
advocates (American Council for an
Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE),
Appliance Standards Awareness Project
(ASAP), Natural Resources Defense
Council (NRDC), Alliance to Save
Energy (ASE), Alliance for Water
Efficiency (AWE), Northwest Power and
Conservation Council (NPCC), and
Northeast Energy Efficiency
Partnerships (NEEP)); and consumer
groups (Consumer Federation of
America (CFA) and the National
Consumer Law Center (NCLC))
(collectively, the ‘‘Joint Petitioners’’).
This collective set of comments 1
recommends specific energy
conservation standards for residential
clothes dryers and room air conditioners
that, in the commenters’ view, would
satisfy the EPCA requirements at 42
U.S.C. 6295(o).
After careful consideration of the
Consensus Agreement, the Secretary
determined that it was submitted by
interested persons who are fairly
representative of relevant points of view
on this matter. DOE noted in the direct
1 DOE Docket No. EERE–2007–BT–STD–0010,
Comment 35.
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final rule that Congress provided some
guidance within the statute itself by
specifying that representatives of
manufacturers of covered products,
States, and efficiency advocates are
relevant parties to any consensus
recommendation. (42 U.S.C.
6295(p)(4)(A)) As delineated above, the
Consensus Agreement was signed and
submitted by a broad cross-section of
the manufacturers who produce the
subject products, their trade
associations, and environmental, energy
efficiency and consumer advocacy
organizations. Although States were not
signatories to the Consensus Agreement,
they did not express any opposition to
it from the time of its submission to
DOE through the close of the comment
period on the direct final rule.
Moreover, DOE stated in the direct final
rule that it does not interpret the statute
as requiring absolute agreement among
all interested parties before DOE may
proceed with issuance of a direct final
rule. By explicit language of the statute,
the Secretary has discretion to
determine when a joint
recommendation for an energy or water
conservation standard has met the
requirement for representativeness (i.e.,
‘‘as determined by the Secretary’’).
Accordingly, DOE determined that the
Consensus Agreement was made and
submitted by interested persons fairly
representative of relevant points of
view.
Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 6295(p)(4), the
Secretary must also determine whether
a jointly submitted recommendation for
an energy or water conservation
standard is in accordance with 42 U.S.C.
6295(o) or 42 U.S.C. 6313(a)(6)(B), as
applicable. As stated in the direct final
rule, this determination is exactly the
type of analysis DOE conducts
whenever it considers potential energy
conservation standards pursuant to
EPCA. DOE applies the same principles
to any consensus recommendations it
may receive to satisfy its statutory
obligation to ensure that any energy
conservation standard that it adopts
achieves the maximum improvement in
energy efficiency that is technologically
feasible and economically justified and
will result in significant conservation of
energy. Upon review, the Secretary
determined that the Consensus
Agreement submitted in the instant
rulemaking comports with the standard-
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setting criteria set forth under 42 U.S.C.
6295(o). Accordingly, the Consensus
Agreement levels, included as trial
standard level (TSL) 4 for both clothes
dryers and room air conditioners, were
adopted as the amended standard levels
in the direct final rule.
In sum, as the relevant statutory
criteria were satisfied, the Secretary
adopted the amended energy
conservation standards for clothes
dryers and room air conditioners set
forth in the direct final rule. These
standards are set forth in Table 1. The
standards apply to all products listed in
Table 1 that are manufactured in, or
imported into, the United States on or
after June 1, 2014 for room air
conditioners and on or after January 1,
2015 for clothes dryers. These
compliance dates were set forth in the
proposed rule issued on May 9, 2011 (76
FR 19913) and are adopted in a final
rule published elsewhere in today’s
Federal Register (see section V of this
notice for further details.) For a detailed
discussion of DOE’s analysis of the
benefits and burdens of the amended
standards pursuant to the criteria set
forth in EPCA, please see the direct final
rule. (76 FR 22454 (April 21, 2011))
As required by EPCA, DOE also
simultaneously published a NOPR
proposing the identical standard levels
contained in the direct final rule. As
discussed in section II.A.4 of this notice,
DOE considered whether any comment
received during the 110-day comment
period following the direct final rule
was sufficiently ‘‘adverse’’ as to provide
a reasonable basis for withdrawal of the
direct final rule and continuation of this
rulemaking under the NOPR. As noted
in the direct final rule, it is the
substance, rather than the quantity, of
comments that will ultimately
determine whether a direct final rule
will be withdrawn. To this end, DOE
weighs the substance of any adverse
comment(s) received against the
anticipated benefits of the Consensus
Agreement and the likelihood that
further consideration of the comment(s)
would change the results of the
rulemaking. DOE notes that to the extent
an adverse comment had been
previously raised and addressed in the
rulemaking proceeding, such a
submission will not typically provide a
basis for withdrawal of a direct final
rule.
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TABLE 1—AMENDED ENERGY CONSERVATION STANDARDS FOR RESIDENTIAL CLOTHES DRYERS AND ROOM AIR
CONDITIONERS
Minimum
CEF
levels *
lb/kWh
Product class
Residential Clothes Dryers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Vented Electric, Standard (4.4 ft3 or greater capacity) ...........................................................................................................................
Vented Electric, Compact (120 V) (less than 4.4 ft3 capacity) ...............................................................................................................
Vented Electric, Compact (240 V) (less than 4.4 ft3 capacity) ...............................................................................................................
Vented Gas ..............................................................................................................................................................................................
Ventless Electric, Compact (240 V) (less than 4.4 ft3 capacity) .............................................................................................................
Ventless Electric Combination Washer/Dryer .........................................................................................................................................
3.73
3.61
3.27
3.30
2.55
2.08
Minimum CEER levels **
Btu/Wh
Product class
Room Air Conditioners
1. Without reverse cycle, with louvered sides, and less than 6,000 Btu/h ...............................................................................
2. Without reverse cycle, with louvered sides, and 6,000 to 7,999 Btu/h ................................................................................
3. Without reverse cycle, with louvered sides, and 8,000 to 13,999 Btu/h ..............................................................................
4. Without reverse cycle, with louvered sides, and 14,000 to 19,999 Btu/h ............................................................................
5a. Without reverse cycle, with louvered sides, and 20,000 to 24,999 Btu/h ..........................................................................
5b. Without reverse cycle, with louvered sides, and 25,000 Btu/h or more .............................................................................
6. Without reverse cycle, without louvered sides, and less than 6,000 Btu/h ..........................................................................
7. Without reverse cycle, without louvered sides, and 6,000 to 7,999 Btu/h ...........................................................................
8a. Without reverse cycle, without louvered sides, and 8,000 to 10,999 Btu/h .......................................................................
8b. Without reverse cycle, without louvered sides, and 11,000 to 13,999 Btu/h .....................................................................
9. Without reverse cycle, without louvered sides, and 14,000 to 19,999 Btu/h .......................................................................
10. Without reverse cycle, without louvered sides, and 20,000 Btu/h or more ........................................................................
11. With reverse cycle, with louvered sides, and less than 20,000 Btu/h ................................................................................
12. With reverse cycle, without louvered sides, and less than 14,000 Btu/h ...........................................................................
13. With reverse cycle, with louvered sides, and 20,000 Btu/h or more ..................................................................................
14. With reverse cycle, without louvered sides, and 14,000 Btu/h or more .............................................................................
15. Casement-only .....................................................................................................................................................................
16. Casement-slider ...................................................................................................................................................................
11.0
11.0
10.9
10.7
9.4
9.0
10.0
10.0
9.6
9.5
9.3
9.4
9.8
9.3
9.3
8.7
9.5
10.4
* CEF (Combined Energy Factor) is calculated as the clothes dryer test load weight in pounds divided by the sum of ‘‘active mode’’ per-cycle
energy use and ‘‘inactive mode’’ per-cycle energy use in kWh.
** CEER (Combined Energy Efficiency Ratio) is calculated as capacity times active mode hours (equal to 750) divided by the sum of active
mode annual energy use and inactive mode.
II. Comments Requesting Withdrawal of
the Direct Final Rule
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A. General Comments
1. Joint Petition
Commenters stated that DOE did not
consider the views of all relevant
parties, including appliance installers
and energy suppliers. Commenters also
stated that DOE did not explain its
process for determining whether the
Joint Petition was submitted by relevant
parties, including a determination of
which parties are ‘‘not’’ relevant.
(American Gas Association (AGA), No.
62 at pp. 4–5; 2 AGL Resources (AGL),
No. 63 at p. 8; American Public Gas
Association (APGA), No. 61 at p. 2)
As explained above, EPCA authorizes
DOE to issue a direct final rule
2 A notation in the form ‘‘AGA, No. 62 at pp. 4–
5’’ identifies a written comment (1) Made by the
American Gas Association (AGA), (2) recorded in
document number 62 that is filed in the docket of
this rulemaking, and (3) which appears on pages 4–
5 of document number 62.
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establishing an energy conservation
standard on receipt of a statement that,
in relevant part, is submitted jointly by
interested persons that are fairly
representative of relevant points of view
(including representatives of
manufacturers of covered products,
States, and efficiency advocates) as
determined by the Secretary. While
providing some guidance by specifying
that representatives of manufacturers of
covered products, States, and efficiency
advocates are relevant parties to any
consensus recommendation, EPCA
affords DOE significant discretion in
determining whether this requirement
has been met. (42 U.S.C. 6295(p)(4)(A))
DOE notes that EPCA does not require
that ‘‘all’’ relevant parties be parties to
any consensus agreement. EPCA also
does not require DOE to specify parties
that it determines are not relevant to any
consensus agreement.
In the direct final rule, DOE explained
how the Consensus Agreement met the
requirement that it be submitted jointly
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by interested persons that are fairly
representative of relevant points of
view. DOE noted that the Consensus
Agreement was signed and submitted by
a broad cross-section of the
manufacturers who produce the subject
products, their trade associations, and
environmental, energy efficiency and
consumer advocacy organizations. DOE
further noted that although States were
not signatories to the Consensus
Agreement, they did not express any
opposition to it. States also did not file
any adverse comments during the
comment period for the direct final rule.
Moreover, DOE stated in the direct
final rule that it does not interpret the
statute as requiring absolute agreement
among all interested parties before DOE
may proceed with issuance of a direct
final rule. By explicit language of the
statute, the Secretary has discretion to
determine when a joint
recommendation for an energy or water
conservation standard has met the
requirement for representativeness (i.e.,
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‘‘as determined by the Secretary’’). DOE
acknowledges that appliance installers
and energy suppliers may also be
relevant parties within the meaning of
42 U.S.C. 6295(p)(4), but does not
believe that the existence of other
potentially relevant parties indicates
that the Consensus Agreement was not
submitted jointly by interested persons
that are fairly representative of relevant
points of view (including
representatives of manufacturers of
covered products, States, and efficiency
advocates). In addition, DOE notes that
it derived the installation costs for the
clothes dryers from the 2010 RS Means
Residential Cost Data, which is
commonly used as an installation cost
reference source by the installers for
estimating the labor hours and regional
labor cost. DOE also notes that the
clothes dryer design that meets the new
energy conservation standard does not
require additional installation cost
compared to the models that meet the
existing energy conservation standard.
Energy suppliers—Edison Electric
Institute and California Utilities (gas
and electric)—provided technology
information that could improve the
products’ efficiency, and also
recommended improvements to the
existing test procedures in response to
the framework document for this
rulemaking, made available for
comment on October 9, 2007, and the
preliminary analysis document, made
available for public comment on
February 23, 2010.3
For the reasons stated above, DOE
affirms its conclusion in the direct final
rule that the Joint Petition satisfies the
requirement of 42 U.S.C. 6295(p)(4) that
it be a statement submitted jointly by
interested persons that are fairly
representative of relevant points of view
(including representatives of
manufacturers of covered products,
States, and efficiency advocates) as
determined by the Secretary.
2. Using Experience Curve To Forecast
Product Prices
AGA objected to DOE’s use of a
learning curve to forecast product
prices. (AGA, No. 62 at p. 3) APGA
stated that learning curve price
reductions should not be included in
this direct final rule because DOE’s most
recent policy on this topic, set forth in
DOE’s notice of data availability
(NODA) on Equipment Price Forecasting
in Energy Conservation Standards
Analysis (76 FR 9696, Feb. 22, 2011),
3 A notice of availability (NOA) of the framework
document was published in the Federal Register on
October 9, 2007. (72 FR 57254). A NOA of the
preliminary analysis was published in the Federal
Register on Feb. 23, 2010. (75 FR 7987).
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has not been finalized. (APGA, No. 61
at p. 2)
APGA also presented as relevant to
this rulemaking several issues that it
had raised in its comments in response
to the NODA. Summarizing these issues,
AGA stated that DOE has not justified
use of ‘‘learning curve’’ price effects
with respect to the covered products,
and that the price adjustment approach,
based on a wide variety of products and
not specific to the design options under
consideration, is inconsistent with the
approach of using engineering costs.
(AGA, No. 62 at p. 3) Laclede Gas
Company (Laclede Gas) stated that the
‘‘learning curve’’ is one of many
assumptions made by DOE leading to a
biased outcome. (Laclede Gas, No. 59 at
p. 4)
In the NODA, DOE stated that when
data are available to project potential
cost reductions over time for a
particular appliance or type of
equipment, DOE plans to use these data
as part of its analyses. 76 FR 9699 (Feb.
22, 2011). Therefore, use of the
experience curve approach in the direct
final rule, as described below, is
appropriate.
For the direct final rule, DOE
examined historical producer price
indices for room air conditioners and
household laundry equipment and
found a long-term declining real price
trend for both products. Consistent with
the method proposed in the NODA,
DOE used experience curve fits with the
historical data on prices and cumulative
production to forecast product costs.
The experience curve approach captures
a variety of factors that together shaped
the observed historical trends, and is
consistent with the costing approach in
the engineering analysis, which
estimated the incremental costs of
considered design options in 2010. DOE
did not attempt to forecast how those
costs may change in the future because
the available data did not permit DOE
to estimate how only the incremental
costs of design options may change.
3. Measure of Energy Consumption
Laclede Gas expressed concern that
DOE has not implemented the National
Academy of Sciences (NAS) conclusions
that DOE’s measurement of energy use
should be based on full-fuel cycles,
which takes into account the amount of
energy consumed and lost from the
fuel’s production through the final point
of use. (Laclede Gas, No. 59 at p. 4)
As discussed in the direct final rule,
Section 1802 of the Energy Policy Act of
2005 directed DOE to contract a study
with the National Academy of Science
(NAS) to examine whether the goals of
energy efficiency standards are best
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served by measurement of energy
consumed, and efficiency
improvements, at the actual point-of-use
or through the use of the full-fuel-cycle,
beginning at the source of energy
production. (Pub. L. 109–58 (August 8,
2005)). NAS appointed a committee on
‘‘Point-of-Use and Full-Fuel-Cycle
Measurement Approaches to Energy
Efficiency Standards’’ to conduct the
study, which was completed in May
2009. The NAS committee noted that
DOE uses what the committee referred
to as ‘‘extended site’’ energy
consumption to assess the impact of
energy use on the economy, energy
security, and environmental quality.
The extended site measure of energy
consumption includes the energy
consumed during the generation,
transmission, and distribution of
electricity but, unlike the full-fuel-cycle
measure, does not include the energy
consumed in extracting, processing, and
transporting primary fuels. A majority of
the NAS committee concluded that
extended site energy consumption
understates the total energy consumed
to make an appliance operational at the
site. As a result, the NAS committee
recommended that DOE consider
shifting its analytical approach over
time to use a full-fuel-cycle measure of
energy consumption when assessing
national and environmental impacts,
especially with respect to the
calculation of greenhouse gas emissions.
In response to the NAS committee
recommendations, DOE issued a Notice
of Proposed Policy proposing to
incorporate a full-fuel cycle analysis
into the methods it uses to estimate the
likely impacts of energy conservation
standards on energy use and emissions.
75 FR 51423 (August 20, 2010).
Specifically, DOE proposed to use fullfuel-cycle (FFC) measures of energy and
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, rather
than the primary (extended site) energy
measures it currently uses. DOE recently
published a final policy statement on
these subjects (76 FR 51281, August 18,
2011) and will take steps to begin
implementing that policy in future
rulemakings and other activities.
4. Adverse Impacts
Commenters stated that DOE did not
consider the adverse comments
consistent with 42 U.S.C. 6295(p)(4).
Specifically, commenters asserted that
DOE was required to weigh adverse
comments independent of other aspects
of the direct final rule, except where the
comments conflict with DOE’s analysis
in the rule, to avoid what the
commenters view as ad hoc and
administratively inappropriate tradeoffs. Commenters also asserted that
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weighing the adverse comments against
the benefits of the direct final rule was
not authorized by EPCA. (AGA, No. 62
at p. 4; APGA, No. 61 at p. 2)
EPCA, in relevant part, authorizes
DOE to adopt in a direct final rule
jointly recommended energy
conservation standards that are in
accordance with the provisions of 42
U.S.C. 6295(o). Not later than 120 days
after issuance of the direct final rule, if
one or more adverse comments or an
alternative joint recommendation are
received relating to the direct final rule,
the Secretary is required to determine
whether the comments or alternative
recommendation may provide a
reasonable basis for withdrawal under
42 U.S.C. 6295(o) or other applicable
law.
In the discussion that follows, DOE
first explains its rationale for
establishing the standards set forth in
the direct final rule. DOE then explains
the process for determining whether
adverse comments received may
provide a reasonable basis for
withdrawal of the direct final rule and
addresses commenters’ concerns about
that process.
As stated in the direct final rule,
DOE’s determination as to whether the
standards levels in a consensus
agreement meet the requirements for
adoption set forth in 42 U.S.C. 6295(o)
is exactly the type of analysis DOE
conducts whenever it considers
potential energy conservation standards
pursuant to EPCA. DOE applies the
same principles to any consensus
recommendations it may receive to
satisfy its statutory obligation to ensure
that any energy conservation standard
that DOE adopts achieves the maximum
improvement in energy efficiency that is
technologically feasible and
economically justified and will result in
significant conservation of energy. This
analysis includes a determination of
whether the benefits of the standard
outweigh its burdens, considering, to
the maximum extent practicable, the
seven criteria set forth in EPCA. These
factors include the economic impact on
manufacturers and consumers,
operating cost savings compared to any
increase costs, energy savings, any
lessening of utility, the impact of any
lessening of competition, the need for
national energy and water savings, and
any other factors that the Secretary
considers appropriate. For the reasons
stated in the direct final rule, DOE
stated that it considered submission of
the Consensus Agreement as another
such factor. Upon review, and for the
reasons set forth in the direct final rule,
the Secretary determined that the
Consensus Agreement submitted for
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residential clothes dryers and room air
conditioners comports with the
standard-setting criteria set forth under
42 U.S.C. 6295(o). Accordingly, the
consensus agreement levels, included as
TSL 4 for both clothes dryers and room
air conditioners, were adopted as the
amended standard levels in the direct
final rule.
In considering whether any comment
received on the direct final rule is
sufficiently ‘‘adverse’’ such that it may
provide a reasonable basis for
withdrawal of the direct final rule and
continuation of this rulemaking under
the NOPR, DOE stated in the direct final
rule that it is the substance, rather than
the quantity, of comments that
ultimately determines whether a direct
final rule will be withdrawn. DOE also
stated that it weighs the substance of
any adverse comment(s) received
against the anticipated benefits of the
Consensus Agreement and the
likelihood that further consideration of
the comment(s) would change the
results of the rulemaking. DOE noted
that to the extent an adverse comment
had been previously raised and
addressed in the rulemaking
proceeding, such a submission will not
typically provide a basis for withdrawal
of a direct final rule. DOE does not agree
that adverse comments must be weighed
independently of the benefits of the
standards in the direct final rule. DOE
notes that EPCA affords the Secretary
significant discretion in determining
whether adverse comments may provide
a reasonable basis for withdrawal of the
direct final rule. EPCA requires DOE to
make its decision whether to withdraw
the direct final rule ‘‘based on the
rulemaking record relating to the direct
final rule.’’ In addition, DOE believes
that weighing the substance of any
adverse comments against the benefits
of the standards adopted in the direct
final rule is authorized by, and
completely consistent with, EPCA
because EPCA requires DOE to make
these same types of determinations,
weighing factors as varied as impacts to
consumers and manufacturers and the
need of the nation for energy savings,
when deciding whether a standard is
economically justified. DOE also
believes that analysis of the substance of
the adverse comments to determine
whether further consideration would
lead to a change in the results of the
rulemaking, as well as the consideration
of comments already addressed as
insufficient to justify withdrawal, is an
appropriate exercise of the Secretary’s
discretion and use of limited resources.
DOE’s analysis of the adverse comments
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received is provided throughout this
section.
5. Comment Period
Commenters also suggested that DOE
extend the comment period on the
NOPR published simultaneous with the
direct final rule. In the commenters’
view, DOE needs to deliberate on the
comments advocating withdrawal before
closing the comment period on the
NOPR so that stakeholders are aware of
the rulemaking path DOE is pursuing.
Commenters also noted that there is no
requirement for the comment periods to
have the same end date, and that
withdrawal of the direct final rule may
generate unique information for
stakeholders to inform their comments
on the NOPR. (AGA, No. 62 at p. 5;
APGA, No. 61 at p. 3)
DOE is required by 42 U.S.C.
6295(p)(4) to publish a NOPR proposing
standards identical to those set forth in
the direct final rule simultaneously with
the direct final rule. DOE published the
direct final rule and corresponding
NOPR on April 21, 2011. (76 FR 22324
(NOPR); 76 FR 22454 (direct final rule))
DOE is not required to provide for
identical comments periods on the
NOPR and direct final rule. DOE
typically provides for a 60-day comment
period on an energy conservation
standards NOPR. For the NOPR
proposing energy conservation
standards for residential clothes dryers
and room air conditioners, however,
DOE provided for a longer comment
period to match the 110-day comment
period provided for the direct final rule.
DOE believed that an earlier closing
date could be confusing to commenters
and was not warranted given that the
direct final rule provided for a 110-day
comment period. DOE does not believe
that further extension of the comment
period on the NOPR is necessary. The
time provided for DOE to deliberate on
whether to withdraw the direct final
rule is specified in EPCA, which states
that not later than 120 days after
publication of the direct final rule in the
Federal Register (i.e., 10 days after the
close of the comment period), DOE must
withdraw the direct final rule if it
receives one or more adverse comments
that may provide a reasonable basis for
withdrawal. In addition, the standards
proposed in the NOPR are identical to
those set forth in the direct final rule,
and in the event DOE determines that
withdrawal is warranted, EPCA requires
DOE to proceed with the simultaneously
published NOPR. DOE’s path in the
event of withdrawal is therefore known
when the direct final rule and NOPR are
published—DOE considers the
comments received and determines
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whether to issue amended standards in
a final rule. Because the standards
proposed in the NOPR, and the analyses
by which those standards were
developed, are identical to those in the
direct final rule, DOE would not expect
that withdrawal would generate unique
information to inform stakeholders’
comments on the NOPR.
B. Comments on Standards for Clothes
Dryers
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1. Consumer Benefits and Economic
Justification
AGA, APGA, and AGL stated that the
results of DOE’s consumer impact
analysis do not provide sufficient
economic justification for TSL 4 for gas
clothes dryers. They stated that the
average life-cycle cost (LCC) benefit of
$2 is highly questionable as a positive
economic justification, and that at TSL
4 more consumers would experience a
net cost than would experience an LCC
benefit. They also stated that the mean
payback period for TSL 4 is much
longer than the median payback period
reported in the direct final rule. (AGA,
No. 62 at p. 2; AGL, No. 63 at p. 2;
APGA, No. 61 at pp. 1–2)
DOE reports median payback period
because it is a better indicator of
consumer impacts than mean payback
period, which can be skewed by a small
number of consumers with a larger
payback period. For gas clothes dryers
at TSL 4, the average LCC savings are
estimated at $2. Sixty-eight percent of
consumers will experience either a net
benefit or no cost (i.e., LCC decrease or
no change in LCC) in 2014, while
approximately one-third of consumers
would experience a net cost (i.e., LCC
increase) in 2014. DOE considered these
LCC impacts in the direct final rule in
its analysis of the seven factors that
EPCA directs DOE to evaluate in
determining whether a potential energy
conservation standard is economically
justified (42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(2)(B)(i)). In
the direct final rule, DOE concluded
that at TSL 4 for residential clothes
dryers, the benefits of energy savings,
generating capacity reductions,
emission reductions and the estimated
monetary value of the CO2 emissions
reductions, and positive NPV of
consumer benefits outweigh the
economic burden on some consumers
due to the increases in product cost and
the profit margin impacts that could
result in a reduction in industry net
present value for the manufacturers.
Thus, the Secretary concluded that TSL
4 offers the maximum improvement in
efficiency that is technologically
feasible and economically justified, and
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will result in the significant
conservation of energy.
AGA noted inconsistencies between
DOE’s LCC analysis and its recalculated
values using the same analytical tools
that would change the LCC savings into
a cost. AGA stated that without any
changes to the user inputs or other
variables, it ran the simulation with the
Crystal Ball software and calculated a $7
average LCC cost for gas dryers at TSL
4, making the adopted standard for gas
dryers not economically justifiable.
(AGA, No. 62 at pp. 1–2) In reviewing
the LCC spreadsheet for gas clothes
dryers, DOE consistently reproduced the
results for the gas dryers at TSL 4 as
reported in the technical support
document (TSD) (i.e., an average savings
of $2) using MS Excel 2007 and Crystal
Ball software version 7.3.2. (2009). The
different outcome from AGA’s
simulation runs could be due to
different software versions, different
initial settings for Crystal Ball, or other
factors, though the information
provided by AGA was insufficient for
DOE to determine the cause of the
differences.
2. Fuel Choice and Fuel Switching
Laclede Gas stated that because the
direct final rule presents energy
efficiency ratings for clothes dryers
based on site energy, it misleads
consumers into thinking that electric
resistance heat is more efficient than the
direct use of natural gas for clothes
drying. (Laclede Gas, No. 59 at pp. 2–
3) The units in which DOE expresses
energy conservation standards for
appliances are based on the definitions
of ‘‘energy efficiency’’ and ‘‘energy use’’
provided by EPCA. The term ‘‘energy
efficiency’’ means the ratio of the useful
output of services from a consumer
product to the energy use of such
product, determined in accordance with
applicable test procedures, and the term
‘‘energy use’’ means the quantity of
energy directly consumed by a
consumer product at point of use,
determined in accordance with test
procedures. (42 U.S.C. 6291(4–5)) DOE
acknowledges that the energy
conservation standards in the direct
final rule are higher for standard vented
electric dryers than for vented gas
dryers (3.73 CEF vs. 3.30 CEF,
respectively), but DOE does not find it
credible that this fact would lead
consumers to thereby prefer electric
dryers. While clothes dryers do not have
EnergyGuide labels, any such label
would feature the estimated annual
operating cost, not the energy efficiency
rating. The estimated average annual
operating cost of a gas dryer meeting the
amended standard is less than the
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similar cost for an electric dryer meeting
the amended standard, so it is
implausible to expect that the standards
would lead consumers to prefer electric
dryers over gas dryers.
In a related comment, Laclede Gas
stated that DOE ignored the potential for
fuel switching from gas to electric
clothes drying. (Laclede Gas, No. 59 at
p. 4) DOE did not consider switching
between gas and electric clothes dryers
as a result of the standards because the
average incremental cost of the
standards for standard-size gas and
electric clothes dryers is approximately
the same ($13). Thus, DOE believes that
the standards would be unlikely to
induce fuel switching, particularly
given the additional costs associated
with such switching (e.g., the need to
install a new dedicated electrical
outlet).
3. Energy Price Forecast
AGA stated that DOE’s use of the
Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) 2010
Reference Case for energy prices underaccounts for the expansion of the U.S.
natural gas resource base resulting from
technological innovations for
production of gas from tight shales.
AGA recommended that DOE conduct
its analysis using the AEO Low Growth
price scenario. (AGA, No. 62 at p. 4)
DOE traditionally uses the Reference
Case forecast from the most recent AEO
available at the time of the analysis for
its default energy price forecast, and
conducts sensitivity analysis using the
Low Growth and High Growth Cases.
For this rulemaking, the 2010 AEO was
the most recent available forecast.
4. Employment Impacts
AGA, APGA, and Laclede Gas stated
that DOE’s estimated range of impacts
under TSL 4 for direct domestic
employment in the manufacture of gas
dryers indicates that job loss is the more
likely outcome of the standards. (AGA,
No. 62 at pp. 2–3; APGA, No. 61 at p.
1; Laclede Gas, No. 59 at p. 4)
The results for clothes dryers under
TSL 4 in the direct final rule show
impacts ranging from a gain of 460 jobs
to a potential loss of 3,962 jobs. The
potential loss reflects a scenario in
which all existing production would be
moved outside of the United States.
DOE believes that this outcome is
unlikely for the reasons stated in the
direct final rule. Specifically, at TSL 3
through TSL 5, DOE analyzed design
options for the most common clothes
dryer product classes that would add
labor content to the final product. If
manufacturers continue to produce
these more complex products in-house,
it is likely that employment would
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increase in response to the amended
energy conservation standards. At TSL 3
through TSL 5, gains in domestic
production employment are likely
because, while requiring more labor, the
necessary changes could be made
within existing product platforms. The
ability to make product changes within
existing platforms mitigates some of the
pressure to find lower labor costs, as
relocating manufacturing facilities
would disrupt production and add
significant capital costs.
5. Scientific Integrity
Laclede Gas stated that the energy
factors established for clothes dryers do
not fulfill the scientific integrity
objectives established by the President’s
Memorandum on scientific integrity,
published on May 9, 2009,4 and that
there is no scientific integrity in
mandating standards that unfairly
discriminate against the direct use of
natural gas. (Laclede Gas, No. 59 at
p. 2)
DOE notes that the President’s memo
requires the Director of the Office of
Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)
to develop recommendations for
Presidential action designed to
guarantee scientific integrity throughout
the executive branch based on the
principles enumerated in the
memorandum. DOE further notes that
OSTP issued a memorandum to the
heads of executive departments and
agencies on December 17, 2010
pursuant to the President’s May 9, 2009
memorandum (https://
www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/
microsites/ostp/scientific-integritymemo-12172010.pdf). The
memorandum provides guidance to
agencies to implement the
Administration’s policies on scientific
integrity. The OSTP memo stated that
agencies should develop policies 5 that,
among other things, strengthen the
actual and perceived credibility of
Government research, which would
include ensuring that data and research
used to support policy decisions
undergo independent peer review by
qualified experts, where feasible and
appropriate. Agency policies should
also, among other things, establish
principles for conveying scientific and
technological information to the public.
As stated in the direct final rule, DOE
conducted formal in-progress peer
reviews of the energy conservation
standards development process and
4 https://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/
Memorandum-for-the-Heads-of-ExecutiveDepartments-and-Agencies-3-9-09/.
5 DOE has submitted its draft policy to OSTP. See
https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/08/11/
scientific-integrity-policies-submitted-ostp.
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analyses and has prepared a Peer
Review Report pertaining to the energy
conservation standards rulemaking
analyses. Generation of this report
involved a rigorous, formal, and
documented evaluation using objective
criteria and qualified and independent
reviewers to make a judgment as to the
technical/scientific/business merit, the
actual or anticipated results, and the
productivity and management
effectiveness of programs and/or
projects. The ‘‘Energy Conservation
Standards Rulemaking Peer Review
Report’’ dated February 2007 has been
disseminated and is available at the
following Web site: https://
www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/
appliance_standards/peer_review.html.
DOE also makes its analyses and results
available to the public in the TSD
developed for its energy conservation
standards rulemakings. The TSD for the
direct final rule to establish energy
conservation standards for residential
clothes dryers and room air conditioners
is available at: https://
www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/
appliance_standards/residential/
residential_clothes_dryers_room_
ac_direct_final_rule_tsd.html.
DOE further notes that both
memoranda state explicitly that they are
not intended to create any right or
benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law or in equity, by any
party against the United States, its
departments, agencies, or entities, its
officers, employees, agents or any other
person.
Lastly, DOE disagrees with the
commenter’s assertion that the amended
standards for clothes dryers unfairly
discriminate against the direct use of
natural gas. As discussed in section
II.B.2 of this notice, DOE finds no
reason to expect that the standards will
cause consumers to prefer electric
dryers over gas clothes dryers.
III. Other Comments on the Direct Final
Rule
A. Standby Power Levels
AHAM commented that the energy
conservation standards for residential
clothes dryers adopted in the direct
final rule incorporate 0.08 Watts (W) of
standby power for the vented clothes
dryer product classes. AHAM stated that
this standby power level is low and
requested that DOE provide additional
information on how that level was
determined. AHAM indicated that
approximately 1–2 W of standby power
is required to power electronic controls
and provide consumers with the
usability they expect. AHAM provided
the example of the product’s central
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processing unit (CPU), which it stated
must run while the product is not in
active mode and that the touch pad
must remain active. AHAM added that
without those two elements a hard off
switch would be required and, as a
result, the consumer would be required
to wait for the product to power up at
the start of use. AHAM stated that
consumers are not likely to accept such
a wait time to turn on the product.
(AHAM, No. 60 at p. 2)
As noted in chapter 5 of the direct
final rule TSD, the standby power levels
for clothes dryers (including the 0.08 W
standby power level) were developed
based on DOE testing and reversing
engineering analysis of products in its
test sample. The 0.08 W standby power
level corresponds to a clothes dryer
with electronic controls that uses a
conventional linear power supply, along
with a transformerless power supply
that enables the CPU to remain on at all
times while disabling the main linear
power supply whenever the clothes
dryer is ‘‘asleep’’ (after periods of user
inactivity). This power supply design,
incorporated with a ‘‘soft’’ power
pushbutton and triac to control power
through the transformer, would provide
just enough power through the
transformerless power supply to
maintain the microcontroller chip while
the clothes dryer is not powered on. The
control logic monitors the clothes dryer
for key-presses, door openings, etc., and
when user activity is detected, the logic
activates the main linear power supply
to power the remainder of the control
board. DOE notes that this design option
and standby power level was observed
in DOE’s sample of units that were
tested and reverse-engineered for the
preliminary analyses. As a result, DOE
believes that products incorporating this
design option are currently available on
the market and do not require a hard on/
off switch. In addition, DOE is unaware
of any differences in the time required
to power up the controls using this
power supply design versus a
conventional linear power supply or
switch mode power supply that also
power down the display after a period
of user inactivity. For these reasons,
DOE believes that the standby power
level analyzed and adopted in the direct
final rule for vented dryer product
classes is appropriate.
AHAM also commented that DOE did
not indicate what standby power levels
were incorporated into the energy
conservation standards adopted in the
direct final rule for room air
conditioners. As a result, AHAM stated
it was unable to comment on the
appropriateness of the adopted standard
levels. (AHAM, No. 60 at p. 2) DOE has
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provided additional information on the
standby power levels incorporated into
the standards adopted in the direct final
rule for room air conditioners that can
be found on the DOE Web site at:
https://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/
appliance_standards/residential/pdfs/
room_ac_efficiency_level_
standby_table.pdf.
B. Test Procedure
The same parties that submitted the
Joint Petition also submitted a separate
comment (Joint Comment) which
supported the final adoption of the
standards in the direct final rule, but
also noted that DOE’s revised clothes
dryer test procedure that published in
January 2011 did not incorporate their
recommendations to amend the test
procedure to better account for the
effectiveness of automatic termination
controls. 76 FR 972 (Jan. 6, 2011) As
part of this recommendation, the Joint
Comment stated that DOE should revise
its test procedure to measure the energy
use of automatic termination controls so
that the procedure includes the entire
cycle, including the cool-down period.
The Joint Comment stated that it intends
to submit new data gathered by
manufacturers along with a petition
requesting a revision to the DOE test
procedure to account for the
effectiveness of automatic termination
controls and include the full cycle,
including cool-down. The petition will
also request a parallel revision to the
energy conservation standard to reflect
the test procedure change, as required
by EPCA. The Joint Comment added
that amending the test procedure to
capture the energy use of the entire
dryer cycle could save significant
amounts of energy over 30 years and
urged DOE to act upon their upcoming
petition as soon as possible. (Joint
Comment, No. 64 at p. 1)
As noted in the clothes dryer test
procedure request for information (RFI)
notice issued on August 9, 2011 and
published in the Federal Register on
August 12, 2011 (76 FR 50145–48), DOE
has initiated a new test procedure
rulemaking for clothes dryers to further
investigate the effects of automatic cycle
termination on the energy efficiency. In
the RFI, DOE stated that it seeks
information, data, and comments
regarding methods for more accurately
measuring the effects of automatic cycle
termination in its clothes dryer test
procedure. In particular, DOE seeks
information, data, and comments on the
following topics as they relate to
automatic cycle termination: test load
characteristics, accuracy of different
automatic cycle termination sensors and
controls, conditions of water used to
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wet the dryer test load, and automatic
termination cycle settings to be tested.
C. Equipment Price Forecasting
AHAM expressed concern regarding
the use of experience curves in
equipment price forecasting. It stated
that using experience curves (1) Does
not make the analysis more accurate; (2)
gives the appearance, but not the reality,
of a more objective analysis; (3) hides
the subjectivity in the data selection
process rather than in the analysis itself;
and (4) has no material effect on the
ordering of the conclusions. (AHAM,
No. 60 at p. 2) As discussed in section
IV.F.1 of the direct final rule, DOE
evaluated the above concerns (and those
expressed by other commenters on the
NODA) and determined that retaining
the assumption-based approach of a
constant real price trend was not
consistent with the historical data for
the products covered in this rule.
Instead, consistent with the method
proposed in the NODA, DOE used
experience curve fits to forecast product
costs. To evaluate the impact of the
uncertainty of the price trend estimates,
DOE performed price trend sensitivity
calculations in the national impact
analysis to examine the dependence of
the analysis results on different
analytical assumptions. DOE found that
for the selected standard levels the
benefits outweighed the burdens under
all scenarios. DOE notes that it may
modify its price trend forecasting
methods as more data and information
becomes available.
D. Indirect Environmental Impacts
AHAM stated that, to understand the
total environmental impact, DOE’s
analysis should also consider indirect
CO2 emissions, such as increased carbon
emissions required to manufacture a
product at a given standard level,
increased transportation and related
emissions, and reduced carbon
emissions from peak load reductions.
(AHAM, No. 60 at p. 2) As discussed in
section II.A.3, DOE is evaluating the
full-fuel-cycle measure, which includes
the energy consumed in extracting,
processing, and transporting primary
fuels. DOE’s current accounting of
primary energy savings and the fullfuel-cycle measure are directly linked to
the energy used by appliances or
equipment. DOE believes that energy
used in the manufacture or transport of
appliances or equipment falls outside
the boundaries of ‘‘directly’’ as intended
by EPCA. Thus, DOE did not consider
such energy use in the national impact
analysis. DOE did not include the
emissions associated with such energy
use for the same reason.
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E. Other Comments
DOE received one comment from a
private citizen generally supporting the
standards in the direct final rule.
IV. Department of Justice Analysis of
Competitive Impacts
EPCA directs DOE to consider any
lessening of competition that is likely to
result from new or amended standards.
It also directs the Attorney General of
the United States (Attorney General) to
determine the impact, if any, of any
lessening of competition likely to result
from a proposed standard and to
transmit such determination to the
Secretary within 60 days of the
publication of a proposed rule, together
with an analysis of the nature and
extent of the impact. (42 U.S.C.
6295(o)(2)(B)(i)(V) and (B)(ii)) DOE
published a NOPR containing energy
conservation standards identical to
those set forth the direct final rule and
transmitted a copy of the direct final
rule and the accompanying TSD to the
Attorney General, requesting that the
U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)
provide its determination on this issue.
DOE has published DOJ’s comments at
the end of this notice.
DOJ reviewed the amended standards
in the direct final rule and the final TSD
provided by DOE, and also conducted
interviews with industry members. As a
result of its analysis, DOJ concluded
that the amended standards issued in
the direct final rule are unlikely to have
a significant adverse impact on
competition. DOJ further noted that the
amended standards established in the
direct final rule were the same as
recommended standards submitted in
the Joint Petition signed by industry
participants who believed they could
meet the standards (as well as other
interested parties).
V. Amended Compliance Dates
In the direct final rule and
corresponding NOPR published in the
Federal Register on April 21, 2011, DOE
provided for a compliance date for the
amended energy conservation standards
for residential clothes dryers and room
air conditioners of 3 years after the date
of publication, or April 21, 2014. The
standards set forth in the direct final
rule and NOPR were consistent with the
Consensus Agreement that served as the
basis for those rulemaking actions. The
Consensus Agreement also provided
specific compliance dates for both
products—June 1, 2014 for room air
conditioners and January 1, 2015 for
clothes dryers. The compliance date of
the direct final rule and NOPR did not
correspond with the compliance dates
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specified in Consensus Agreement. As a
result, DOE proposed to amend the
compliance dates set forth in the direct
final rule and corresponding NOPR to
be consistent with the compliance dates
set out in the consensus agreement. DOE
received comments in support of the
amended compliance dates and did not
receive any comments objecting to those
amended dates. In a final rule published
elsewhere in today’s Federal Register,
DOE adopts the compliance dates for
the standards established in the direct
final specified in the Consensus
Agreement—June 1, 2014 for room air
conditioners and January 1, 2015 for
clothes dryers.
VI. National Environmental Policy Act
Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act and the
requirements of 42 U.S.C.
6295(o)(2)(B)(i)(VI), DOE prepared an
environmental assessment (EA) of the
impacts of the standards for clothes
dryers and room air conditioners in the
direct final rule, which was included as
chapter 15 of the direct final rule TSD.
DOE found that the environmental
effects associated with the standards for
clothes dryers and room air conditioners
were not significant. Therefore, after
consideration of the comments received
on the direct final rule, DOE issued a
Finding of No Significant Impact
(FONSI) pursuant to NEPA, the
regulations of the Council on
Environmental Quality (40 CFR parts
1500–1508), and DOE’s regulations for
compliance with NEPA (10 CFR part
1021). The FONSI is available in the
docket for this rulemaking and at:
https://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/
appliance_standards/residential/pdfs/
fonsi.pdf.6
wreier-aviles on DSKGBLS3C1PROD with RULES
VII. Conclusion
In summary, based on the discussion
above, DOE has determined that the
comments received in response to the
direct final rule for amended energy
conservation standards for residential
clothes dryers and room air conditioners
do not provide a reasonable basis for
withdrawal of the direct final rule. As
a result, the amended energy
conservation standards set forth in the
direct final rule were effective on
August 19, 2011. Pursuant to the
document published elsewhere in
today’s Federal Register, compliance
with these standards is required on June
1, 2014 for room air conditioners and on
January 1, 2015 for clothes dryers.
6 DOE stated erroneously in the direct final rule
published on April 21, 2011 that the FONSI had
been issued at that time. This document corrects
that statement.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
15:25 Aug 23, 2011
Jkt 223001
Issued in Washington, DC, on August 18,
2011.
Timothy Unruh,
Program Manager, Federal Energy
Management Program, Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2011–21640 Filed 8–23–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
19 CFR Part 159
[USCBP–2010–0008;–CBP Dec. 11—17]
RIN 1515–AD67 (formerly RIN 1505–AC21)
Courtesy Notice of Liquidation;
Correction
U.S. Customs and Border
Protection, Department of Homeland
Security; Department of the Treasury.
ACTION: Final rule; correction.
AGENCIES:
U.S. Customs and Border
Protection (‘‘CBP’’) published in the
Federal Register of August 17, 2011, a
final rule concerning the
discontinuation of electronic courtesy
notices of liquidation to importers of
record whose entry summaries are filed
in the Automated Broker Interface
(‘‘ABI’’). In the preamble of the final
rule document, CBP made a
misstatement in a comment response
regarding the availability to an importer
of an Importer Trade Activity (ITRAC)
report—a historical report on all of an
importer’s importation activity over a
set time period. CBP incorrectly stated
that C–TPAT members may receive
ITRAC reports for free. This document
corrects the August 17, 2011 document
to reflect that the Importer SelfAssessment (‘‘ISA’’) members, rather
than C–TPAT members, receive free
ITRAC reports.
DATES: This correction is effective
August 24, 2011. The final rule is
effective September 30, 2011. The
implementation date will be the first
day on or after September 30, 2011, that
CBP can provide importers with
complete liquidation reports, including
liquidation dates, electronically through
the ACE Portal. CBP will confirm the
date of implementation through
electronic notification (see CBP.gov).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Laurie Dempsey, Trade Policy and
Programs, Office of International Trade,
Customs and Border Protection, 202–
863–6509.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Correction
In the Federal Register issue of
Wednesday, August 17, 2011, in FR
Doc. 2011–20957, please make the
following two corrections:
1. On page 50883, in the third
column, please remove in the heading of
the document ‘‘[USCBP–2010–0008; BP
Dec. 11–17]’’ and add in its place
‘‘[USCBP–2010–0008; CBP Dec. 11–
17]’’;
2. On page 50886, in the second
column, the last sentence of the second
full paragraph, please remove the term
‘‘a C–TPAT member’’ and add in its
place the term ‘‘an Importer SelfAssessment (‘‘ISA’’) member’’.
Dated: August 19, 2011.
Joanne Roman Stump,
Acting Director, Regulations and Disclosure
Law Division, U.S. Customs and Border
Protection.
Heidi Cohen,
Senior Counsel for Regulatory Affairs, Office
of the Assistant General Counsel for General
Law, Ethics & Regulation, U.S. Department
of the Treasury.
[FR Doc. 2011–21620 Filed 8–23–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111–14–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade
Bureau
27 CFR Parts 24, 25, 26, 40, 41, and 70
[Docket No. TTB–2011–0001; T.D. TTB–94;
Re: T.D. TTB–89; Notice No. 115; T.D. TTB–
41; TTB Notice No. 56; T.D. ATF–365; and
ATF Notice No. 813]
RIN 1513–AB43
Time for Payment of Certain Excise
Taxes, and Quarterly Excise Tax
Payments for Small Alcohol Excise
Taxpayers
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and
Trade Bureau, Treasury.
ACTION: Final rule; Treasury decision.
AGENCY:
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax
and Trade Bureau (TTB) is adopting, as
a final rule, regulations contained in a
temporary rule pertaining to the
semimonthly payments of excise tax on
distilled spirits, wine, beer, tobacco
products, and cigarette papers and
tubes, and pertaining to the quarterly
payment of alcohol excise tax by small
taxpayers. This final rule action does
not include those regulations contained
in the temporary rule pertaining to part
19 of the TTB regulations, which were
adopted as a final rule in a separate
regulatory initiative.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\24AUR1.SGM
24AUR1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 164 (Wednesday, August 24, 2011)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 52854-52862]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-21640]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
10 CFR Part 430
[Docket Number EERE-2007-BT-STD-0010]
RIN 1904-AA89
Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for
Residential Clothes Dryers and Room Air Conditioners
AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Notice of effective date and compliance dates for direct final
rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: DOE published a direct final rule to establish amended energy
conservation standards for residential clothes dryers and room air
conditioners in the Federal Register on April 21, 2011. DOE has
determined that the adverse comments received in response to the direct
final rule do not provide a reasonable basis for withdrawing the direct
final rule. Therefore, DOE provides this document confirming adoption
of the energy conservation standards established in the direct final
rule and announcing the effective date of those standards. DOE also
published a proposed rule to amend the compliance dates set forth in
the direct final rule on May 9, 2011. Elsewhere in today's Federal
Register, DOE publishes a final rule which adopts the compliance dates
set forth in its proposed rule published on May 9, 2011.
DATES: The direct final rule published on April 21, 2011 (76 FR 22454)
was effective on August 19, 2011. Pursuant to the document published
elsewhere in today's Federal Register, compliance with the standards in
the direct final rule will be required on June 1, 2014 for room air
conditioners and on January 1, 2015 for clothes dryers.
ADDRESSES: The docket is available for review at regulations.gov,
including Federal Register notices, framework documents, public meeting
attendee lists and transcripts, comments, and other supporting
documents/materials. All documents in the docket are listed in the
regulations.gov index. Not all documents listed in the index may be
publicly available, such as information that is exempt from public
disclosure. A link to the docket Web page can be found at https://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Stephen L. Witkowski, U.S.
Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy,
Building Technologies Program, EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20585-0121; telephone: (202) 586-7463; e-mail:
Stephen.Witkowski@ee.doe.gov.
Ms. Elizabeth Kohl, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the
General Counsel, GC-71, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC
20585-0121; telephone: (202) 586-7796; e-mail:
Elizabeth.Kohl@hq.doe.gov.
For further information on how to submit or review public comments
or view hard copies of the docket, contact Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202)
586-2945 or e-mail: Brenda.Edwards@ee.doe.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Authority and Rulemaking Background
As amended by Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA
2007; Pub. L. 110-140), the Energy Policy and Conservation Act
authorizes DOE to issue a direct final rule establishing an energy
conservation standard on receipt of a statement submitted jointly by
interested persons that are fairly representative of relevant points of
view (including representatives of manufacturers of covered products,
States, and efficiency advocates) as determined by the Secretary of
Energy (Secretary), that contains recommendations with respect to an
energy conservation standard that are in accordance with the provisions
of 42 U.S.C. 6295(o). A notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) that
proposes an identical energy conservation standard must be published
simultaneously with the final rule, and DOE must provide a public
comment period of at least 110 days on the direct final rule. 42 U.S.C.
6295(p)(4). Not later than 120 days after issuance of the direct final
rule, if one or more adverse comments or an alternative joint
recommendation are received relating to the direct final rule, the
Secretary must determine whether the comments or alternative
recommendation may provide a reasonable basis for withdrawal under 42
U.S.C. 6295(o) or other applicable
[[Page 52855]]
law. If the Secretary makes such a determination, DOE must withdraw the
direct final rule and proceed with the simultaneously published NOPR.
DOE must publish in the Federal Register the reasons why the direct
final rule was withdrawn. Id.
During the rulemaking proceeding to consider amending energy
conservation standards for residential clothes dryers and room air
conditioners, DOE received the ``Agreement on Minimum Federal
Efficiency Standards, Smart Appliances, Federal Incentives and Related
Matters for Specified Appliances'' (the ``Joint Petition'' or
``Consensus Agreement''), a comment submitted by groups representing
manufacturers (the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM),
Whirlpool Corporation (Whirlpool), General Electric Company (GE),
Electrolux, LG Electronics, Inc. (LG), BSH Home Appliances (BSH),
Alliance Laundry Systems (ALS), Viking Range, Sub-Zero Wolf, Friedrich
A/C, U-Line, Samsung, Sharp Electronics, Miele, Heat Controller, AGA
Marvel, Brown Stove, Haier, Fagor America, Airwell Group, Arcelik,
Fisher & Paykel, Scotsman Ice, Indesit, Kuppersbusch, Kelon, and
DeLonghi); energy and environmental advocates (American Council for an
Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), Appliance Standards Awareness Project
(ASAP), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Alliance to Save
Energy (ASE), Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE), Northwest Power and
Conservation Council (NPCC), and Northeast Energy Efficiency
Partnerships (NEEP)); and consumer groups (Consumer Federation of
America (CFA) and the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC))
(collectively, the ``Joint Petitioners''). This collective set of
comments \1\ recommends specific energy conservation standards for
residential clothes dryers and room air conditioners that, in the
commenters' view, would satisfy the EPCA requirements at 42 U.S.C.
6295(o).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ DOE Docket No. EERE-2007-BT-STD-0010, Comment 35.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
After careful consideration of the Consensus Agreement, the
Secretary determined that it was submitted by interested persons who
are fairly representative of relevant points of view on this matter.
DOE noted in the direct final rule that Congress provided some guidance
within the statute itself by specifying that representatives of
manufacturers of covered products, States, and efficiency advocates are
relevant parties to any consensus recommendation. (42 U.S.C.
6295(p)(4)(A)) As delineated above, the Consensus Agreement was signed
and submitted by a broad cross-section of the manufacturers who produce
the subject products, their trade associations, and environmental,
energy efficiency and consumer advocacy organizations. Although States
were not signatories to the Consensus Agreement, they did not express
any opposition to it from the time of its submission to DOE through the
close of the comment period on the direct final rule. Moreover, DOE
stated in the direct final rule that it does not interpret the statute
as requiring absolute agreement among all interested parties before DOE
may proceed with issuance of a direct final rule. By explicit language
of the statute, the Secretary has discretion to determine when a joint
recommendation for an energy or water conservation standard has met the
requirement for representativeness (i.e., ``as determined by the
Secretary''). Accordingly, DOE determined that the Consensus Agreement
was made and submitted by interested persons fairly representative of
relevant points of view.
Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 6295(p)(4), the Secretary must also determine
whether a jointly submitted recommendation for an energy or water
conservation standard is in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 6295(o) or 42
U.S.C. 6313(a)(6)(B), as applicable. As stated in the direct final
rule, this determination is exactly the type of analysis DOE conducts
whenever it considers potential energy conservation standards pursuant
to EPCA. DOE applies the same principles to any consensus
recommendations it may receive to satisfy its statutory obligation to
ensure that any energy conservation standard that it adopts achieves
the maximum improvement in energy efficiency that is technologically
feasible and economically justified and will result in significant
conservation of energy. Upon review, the Secretary determined that the
Consensus Agreement submitted in the instant rulemaking comports with
the standard-setting criteria set forth under 42 U.S.C. 6295(o).
Accordingly, the Consensus Agreement levels, included as trial standard
level (TSL) 4 for both clothes dryers and room air conditioners, were
adopted as the amended standard levels in the direct final rule.
In sum, as the relevant statutory criteria were satisfied, the
Secretary adopted the amended energy conservation standards for clothes
dryers and room air conditioners set forth in the direct final rule.
These standards are set forth in Table 1. The standards apply to all
products listed in Table 1 that are manufactured in, or imported into,
the United States on or after June 1, 2014 for room air conditioners
and on or after January 1, 2015 for clothes dryers. These compliance
dates were set forth in the proposed rule issued on May 9, 2011 (76 FR
19913) and are adopted in a final rule published elsewhere in today's
Federal Register (see section V of this notice for further details.)
For a detailed discussion of DOE's analysis of the benefits and burdens
of the amended standards pursuant to the criteria set forth in EPCA,
please see the direct final rule. (76 FR 22454 (April 21, 2011))
As required by EPCA, DOE also simultaneously published a NOPR
proposing the identical standard levels contained in the direct final
rule. As discussed in section II.A.4 of this notice, DOE considered
whether any comment received during the 110-day comment period
following the direct final rule was sufficiently ``adverse'' as to
provide a reasonable basis for withdrawal of the direct final rule and
continuation of this rulemaking under the NOPR. As noted in the direct
final rule, it is the substance, rather than the quantity, of comments
that will ultimately determine whether a direct final rule will be
withdrawn. To this end, DOE weighs the substance of any adverse
comment(s) received against the anticipated benefits of the Consensus
Agreement and the likelihood that further consideration of the
comment(s) would change the results of the rulemaking. DOE notes that
to the extent an adverse comment had been previously raised and
addressed in the rulemaking proceeding, such a submission will not
typically provide a basis for withdrawal of a direct final rule.
[[Page 52856]]
Table 1--Amended Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Clothes
Dryers and Room Air Conditioners
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minimum
CEF
Product class levels *
lb/kWh
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Residential Clothes Dryers
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Vented Electric, Standard (4.4 ft\3\ or greater capacity). 3.73
2. Vented Electric, Compact (120 V) (less than 4.4 ft\3\ 3.61
capacity)...................................................
3. Vented Electric, Compact (240 V) (less than 4.4 ft\3\ 3.27
capacity)...................................................
4. Vented Gas................................................ 3.30
5. Ventless Electric, Compact (240 V) (less than 4.4 ft\3\ 2.55
capacity)...................................................
6. Ventless Electric Combination Washer/Dryer................ 2.08
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minimum CEER levels
Product class ** Btu/Wh
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Room Air Conditioners
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Without reverse cycle, with louvered sides, and 11.0
less than 6,000 Btu/h.............................
2. Without reverse cycle, with louvered sides, and 11.0
6,000 to 7,999 Btu/h..............................
3. Without reverse cycle, with louvered sides, and 10.9
8,000 to 13,999 Btu/h.............................
4. Without reverse cycle, with louvered sides, and 10.7
14,000 to 19,999 Btu/h............................
5a. Without reverse cycle, with louvered sides, and 9.4
20,000 to 24,999 Btu/h............................
5b. Without reverse cycle, with louvered sides, and 9.0
25,000 Btu/h or more..............................
6. Without reverse cycle, without louvered sides, 10.0
and less than 6,000 Btu/h.........................
7. Without reverse cycle, without louvered sides, 10.0
and 6,000 to 7,999 Btu/h..........................
8a. Without reverse cycle, without louvered sides, 9.6
and 8,000 to 10,999 Btu/h.........................
8b. Without reverse cycle, without louvered sides, 9.5
and 11,000 to 13,999 Btu/h........................
9. Without reverse cycle, without louvered sides, 9.3
and 14,000 to 19,999 Btu/h........................
10. Without reverse cycle, without louvered sides, 9.4
and 20,000 Btu/h or more..........................
11. With reverse cycle, with louvered sides, and 9.8
less than 20,000 Btu/h............................
12. With reverse cycle, without louvered sides, and 9.3
less than 14,000 Btu/h............................
13. With reverse cycle, with louvered sides, and 9.3
20,000 Btu/h or more..............................
14. With reverse cycle, without louvered sides, and 8.7
14,000 Btu/h or more..............................
15. Casement-only.................................. 9.5
16. Casement-slider................................ 10.4
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\*\ CEF (Combined Energy Factor) is calculated as the clothes dryer test
load weight in pounds divided by the sum of ``active mode'' per-cycle
energy use and ``inactive mode'' per-cycle energy use in kWh.
\**\ CEER (Combined Energy Efficiency Ratio) is calculated as capacity
times active mode hours (equal to 750) divided by the sum of active
mode annual energy use and inactive mode.
II. Comments Requesting Withdrawal of the Direct Final Rule
A. General Comments
1. Joint Petition
Commenters stated that DOE did not consider the views of all
relevant parties, including appliance installers and energy suppliers.
Commenters also stated that DOE did not explain its process for
determining whether the Joint Petition was submitted by relevant
parties, including a determination of which parties are ``not''
relevant. (American Gas Association (AGA), No. 62 at pp. 4-5; \2\ AGL
Resources (AGL), No. 63 at p. 8; American Public Gas Association
(APGA), No. 61 at p. 2)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ A notation in the form ``AGA, No. 62 at pp. 4-5'' identifies
a written comment (1) Made by the American Gas Association (AGA),
(2) recorded in document number 62 that is filed in the docket of
this rulemaking, and (3) which appears on pages 4-5 of document
number 62.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As explained above, EPCA authorizes DOE to issue a direct final
rule establishing an energy conservation standard on receipt of a
statement that, in relevant part, is submitted jointly by interested
persons that are fairly representative of relevant points of view
(including representatives of manufacturers of covered products,
States, and efficiency advocates) as determined by the Secretary. While
providing some guidance by specifying that representatives of
manufacturers of covered products, States, and efficiency advocates are
relevant parties to any consensus recommendation, EPCA affords DOE
significant discretion in determining whether this requirement has been
met. (42 U.S.C. 6295(p)(4)(A)) DOE notes that EPCA does not require
that ``all'' relevant parties be parties to any consensus agreement.
EPCA also does not require DOE to specify parties that it determines
are not relevant to any consensus agreement.
In the direct final rule, DOE explained how the Consensus Agreement
met the requirement that it be submitted jointly by interested persons
that are fairly representative of relevant points of view. DOE noted
that the Consensus Agreement was signed and submitted by a broad cross-
section of the manufacturers who produce the subject products, their
trade associations, and environmental, energy efficiency and consumer
advocacy organizations. DOE further noted that although States were not
signatories to the Consensus Agreement, they did not express any
opposition to it. States also did not file any adverse comments during
the comment period for the direct final rule.
Moreover, DOE stated in the direct final rule that it does not
interpret the statute as requiring absolute agreement among all
interested parties before DOE may proceed with issuance of a direct
final rule. By explicit language of the statute, the Secretary has
discretion to determine when a joint recommendation for an energy or
water conservation standard has met the requirement for
representativeness (i.e.,
[[Page 52857]]
``as determined by the Secretary''). DOE acknowledges that appliance
installers and energy suppliers may also be relevant parties within the
meaning of 42 U.S.C. 6295(p)(4), but does not believe that the
existence of other potentially relevant parties indicates that the
Consensus Agreement was not submitted jointly by interested persons
that are fairly representative of relevant points of view (including
representatives of manufacturers of covered products, States, and
efficiency advocates). In addition, DOE notes that it derived the
installation costs for the clothes dryers from the 2010 RS Means
Residential Cost Data, which is commonly used as an installation cost
reference source by the installers for estimating the labor hours and
regional labor cost. DOE also notes that the clothes dryer design that
meets the new energy conservation standard does not require additional
installation cost compared to the models that meet the existing energy
conservation standard. Energy suppliers--Edison Electric Institute and
California Utilities (gas and electric)--provided technology
information that could improve the products' efficiency, and also
recommended improvements to the existing test procedures in response to
the framework document for this rulemaking, made available for comment
on October 9, 2007, and the preliminary analysis document, made
available for public comment on February 23, 2010.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ A notice of availability (NOA) of the framework document was
published in the Federal Register on October 9, 2007. (72 FR 57254).
A NOA of the preliminary analysis was published in the Federal
Register on Feb. 23, 2010. (75 FR 7987).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
For the reasons stated above, DOE affirms its conclusion in the
direct final rule that the Joint Petition satisfies the requirement of
42 U.S.C. 6295(p)(4) that it be a statement submitted jointly by
interested persons that are fairly representative of relevant points of
view (including representatives of manufacturers of covered products,
States, and efficiency advocates) as determined by the Secretary.
2. Using Experience Curve To Forecast Product Prices
AGA objected to DOE's use of a learning curve to forecast product
prices. (AGA, No. 62 at p. 3) APGA stated that learning curve price
reductions should not be included in this direct final rule because
DOE's most recent policy on this topic, set forth in DOE's notice of
data availability (NODA) on Equipment Price Forecasting in Energy
Conservation Standards Analysis (76 FR 9696, Feb. 22, 2011), has not
been finalized. (APGA, No. 61 at p. 2)
APGA also presented as relevant to this rulemaking several issues
that it had raised in its comments in response to the NODA. Summarizing
these issues, AGA stated that DOE has not justified use of ``learning
curve'' price effects with respect to the covered products, and that
the price adjustment approach, based on a wide variety of products and
not specific to the design options under consideration, is inconsistent
with the approach of using engineering costs. (AGA, No. 62 at p. 3)
Laclede Gas Company (Laclede Gas) stated that the ``learning curve'' is
one of many assumptions made by DOE leading to a biased outcome.
(Laclede Gas, No. 59 at p. 4)
In the NODA, DOE stated that when data are available to project
potential cost reductions over time for a particular appliance or type
of equipment, DOE plans to use these data as part of its analyses. 76
FR 9699 (Feb. 22, 2011). Therefore, use of the experience curve
approach in the direct final rule, as described below, is appropriate.
For the direct final rule, DOE examined historical producer price
indices for room air conditioners and household laundry equipment and
found a long-term declining real price trend for both products.
Consistent with the method proposed in the NODA, DOE used experience
curve fits with the historical data on prices and cumulative production
to forecast product costs. The experience curve approach captures a
variety of factors that together shaped the observed historical trends,
and is consistent with the costing approach in the engineering
analysis, which estimated the incremental costs of considered design
options in 2010. DOE did not attempt to forecast how those costs may
change in the future because the available data did not permit DOE to
estimate how only the incremental costs of design options may change.
3. Measure of Energy Consumption
Laclede Gas expressed concern that DOE has not implemented the
National Academy of Sciences (NAS) conclusions that DOE's measurement
of energy use should be based on full-fuel cycles, which takes into
account the amount of energy consumed and lost from the fuel's
production through the final point of use. (Laclede Gas, No. 59 at p.
4)
As discussed in the direct final rule, Section 1802 of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 directed DOE to contract a study with the National
Academy of Science (NAS) to examine whether the goals of energy
efficiency standards are best served by measurement of energy consumed,
and efficiency improvements, at the actual point-of-use or through the
use of the full-fuel-cycle, beginning at the source of energy
production. (Pub. L. 109-58 (August 8, 2005)). NAS appointed a
committee on ``Point-of-Use and Full-Fuel-Cycle Measurement Approaches
to Energy Efficiency Standards'' to conduct the study, which was
completed in May 2009. The NAS committee noted that DOE uses what the
committee referred to as ``extended site'' energy consumption to assess
the impact of energy use on the economy, energy security, and
environmental quality. The extended site measure of energy consumption
includes the energy consumed during the generation, transmission, and
distribution of electricity but, unlike the full-fuel-cycle measure,
does not include the energy consumed in extracting, processing, and
transporting primary fuels. A majority of the NAS committee concluded
that extended site energy consumption understates the total energy
consumed to make an appliance operational at the site. As a result, the
NAS committee recommended that DOE consider shifting its analytical
approach over time to use a full-fuel-cycle measure of energy
consumption when assessing national and environmental impacts,
especially with respect to the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions.
In response to the NAS committee recommendations, DOE issued a
Notice of Proposed Policy proposing to incorporate a full-fuel cycle
analysis into the methods it uses to estimate the likely impacts of
energy conservation standards on energy use and emissions. 75 FR 51423
(August 20, 2010). Specifically, DOE proposed to use full-fuel-cycle
(FFC) measures of energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, rather
than the primary (extended site) energy measures it currently uses. DOE
recently published a final policy statement on these subjects (76 FR
51281, August 18, 2011) and will take steps to begin implementing that
policy in future rulemakings and other activities.
4. Adverse Impacts
Commenters stated that DOE did not consider the adverse comments
consistent with 42 U.S.C. 6295(p)(4). Specifically, commenters asserted
that DOE was required to weigh adverse comments independent of other
aspects of the direct final rule, except where the comments conflict
with DOE's analysis in the rule, to avoid what the commenters view as
ad hoc and administratively inappropriate trade-offs. Commenters also
asserted that
[[Page 52858]]
weighing the adverse comments against the benefits of the direct final
rule was not authorized by EPCA. (AGA, No. 62 at p. 4; APGA, No. 61 at
p. 2)
EPCA, in relevant part, authorizes DOE to adopt in a direct final
rule jointly recommended energy conservation standards that are in
accordance with the provisions of 42 U.S.C. 6295(o). Not later than 120
days after issuance of the direct final rule, if one or more adverse
comments or an alternative joint recommendation are received relating
to the direct final rule, the Secretary is required to determine
whether the comments or alternative recommendation may provide a
reasonable basis for withdrawal under 42 U.S.C. 6295(o) or other
applicable law.
In the discussion that follows, DOE first explains its rationale
for establishing the standards set forth in the direct final rule. DOE
then explains the process for determining whether adverse comments
received may provide a reasonable basis for withdrawal of the direct
final rule and addresses commenters' concerns about that process.
As stated in the direct final rule, DOE's determination as to
whether the standards levels in a consensus agreement meet the
requirements for adoption set forth in 42 U.S.C. 6295(o) is exactly the
type of analysis DOE conducts whenever it considers potential energy
conservation standards pursuant to EPCA. DOE applies the same
principles to any consensus recommendations it may receive to satisfy
its statutory obligation to ensure that any energy conservation
standard that DOE adopts achieves the maximum improvement in energy
efficiency that is technologically feasible and economically justified
and will result in significant conservation of energy. This analysis
includes a determination of whether the benefits of the standard
outweigh its burdens, considering, to the maximum extent practicable,
the seven criteria set forth in EPCA. These factors include the
economic impact on manufacturers and consumers, operating cost savings
compared to any increase costs, energy savings, any lessening of
utility, the impact of any lessening of competition, the need for
national energy and water savings, and any other factors that the
Secretary considers appropriate. For the reasons stated in the direct
final rule, DOE stated that it considered submission of the Consensus
Agreement as another such factor. Upon review, and for the reasons set
forth in the direct final rule, the Secretary determined that the
Consensus Agreement submitted for residential clothes dryers and room
air conditioners comports with the standard-setting criteria set forth
under 42 U.S.C. 6295(o). Accordingly, the consensus agreement levels,
included as TSL 4 for both clothes dryers and room air conditioners,
were adopted as the amended standard levels in the direct final rule.
In considering whether any comment received on the direct final
rule is sufficiently ``adverse'' such that it may provide a reasonable
basis for withdrawal of the direct final rule and continuation of this
rulemaking under the NOPR, DOE stated in the direct final rule that it
is the substance, rather than the quantity, of comments that ultimately
determines whether a direct final rule will be withdrawn. DOE also
stated that it weighs the substance of any adverse comment(s) received
against the anticipated benefits of the Consensus Agreement and the
likelihood that further consideration of the comment(s) would change
the results of the rulemaking. DOE noted that to the extent an adverse
comment had been previously raised and addressed in the rulemaking
proceeding, such a submission will not typically provide a basis for
withdrawal of a direct final rule. DOE does not agree that adverse
comments must be weighed independently of the benefits of the standards
in the direct final rule. DOE notes that EPCA affords the Secretary
significant discretion in determining whether adverse comments may
provide a reasonable basis for withdrawal of the direct final rule.
EPCA requires DOE to make its decision whether to withdraw the direct
final rule ``based on the rulemaking record relating to the direct
final rule.'' In addition, DOE believes that weighing the substance of
any adverse comments against the benefits of the standards adopted in
the direct final rule is authorized by, and completely consistent with,
EPCA because EPCA requires DOE to make these same types of
determinations, weighing factors as varied as impacts to consumers and
manufacturers and the need of the nation for energy savings, when
deciding whether a standard is economically justified. DOE also
believes that analysis of the substance of the adverse comments to
determine whether further consideration would lead to a change in the
results of the rulemaking, as well as the consideration of comments
already addressed as insufficient to justify withdrawal, is an
appropriate exercise of the Secretary's discretion and use of limited
resources. DOE's analysis of the adverse comments received is provided
throughout this section.
5. Comment Period
Commenters also suggested that DOE extend the comment period on the
NOPR published simultaneous with the direct final rule. In the
commenters' view, DOE needs to deliberate on the comments advocating
withdrawal before closing the comment period on the NOPR so that
stakeholders are aware of the rulemaking path DOE is pursuing.
Commenters also noted that there is no requirement for the comment
periods to have the same end date, and that withdrawal of the direct
final rule may generate unique information for stakeholders to inform
their comments on the NOPR. (AGA, No. 62 at p. 5; APGA, No. 61 at p. 3)
DOE is required by 42 U.S.C. 6295(p)(4) to publish a NOPR proposing
standards identical to those set forth in the direct final rule
simultaneously with the direct final rule. DOE published the direct
final rule and corresponding NOPR on April 21, 2011. (76 FR 22324
(NOPR); 76 FR 22454 (direct final rule)) DOE is not required to provide
for identical comments periods on the NOPR and direct final rule. DOE
typically provides for a 60-day comment period on an energy
conservation standards NOPR. For the NOPR proposing energy conservation
standards for residential clothes dryers and room air conditioners,
however, DOE provided for a longer comment period to match the 110-day
comment period provided for the direct final rule. DOE believed that an
earlier closing date could be confusing to commenters and was not
warranted given that the direct final rule provided for a 110-day
comment period. DOE does not believe that further extension of the
comment period on the NOPR is necessary. The time provided for DOE to
deliberate on whether to withdraw the direct final rule is specified in
EPCA, which states that not later than 120 days after publication of
the direct final rule in the Federal Register (i.e., 10 days after the
close of the comment period), DOE must withdraw the direct final rule
if it receives one or more adverse comments that may provide a
reasonable basis for withdrawal. In addition, the standards proposed in
the NOPR are identical to those set forth in the direct final rule, and
in the event DOE determines that withdrawal is warranted, EPCA requires
DOE to proceed with the simultaneously published NOPR. DOE's path in
the event of withdrawal is therefore known when the direct final rule
and NOPR are published--DOE considers the comments received and
determines
[[Page 52859]]
whether to issue amended standards in a final rule. Because the
standards proposed in the NOPR, and the analyses by which those
standards were developed, are identical to those in the direct final
rule, DOE would not expect that withdrawal would generate unique
information to inform stakeholders' comments on the NOPR.
B. Comments on Standards for Clothes Dryers
1. Consumer Benefits and Economic Justification
AGA, APGA, and AGL stated that the results of DOE's consumer impact
analysis do not provide sufficient economic justification for TSL 4 for
gas clothes dryers. They stated that the average life-cycle cost (LCC)
benefit of $2 is highly questionable as a positive economic
justification, and that at TSL 4 more consumers would experience a net
cost than would experience an LCC benefit. They also stated that the
mean payback period for TSL 4 is much longer than the median payback
period reported in the direct final rule. (AGA, No. 62 at p. 2; AGL,
No. 63 at p. 2; APGA, No. 61 at pp. 1-2)
DOE reports median payback period because it is a better indicator
of consumer impacts than mean payback period, which can be skewed by a
small number of consumers with a larger payback period. For gas clothes
dryers at TSL 4, the average LCC savings are estimated at $2. Sixty-
eight percent of consumers will experience either a net benefit or no
cost (i.e., LCC decrease or no change in LCC) in 2014, while
approximately one-third of consumers would experience a net cost (i.e.,
LCC increase) in 2014. DOE considered these LCC impacts in the direct
final rule in its analysis of the seven factors that EPCA directs DOE
to evaluate in determining whether a potential energy conservation
standard is economically justified (42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(2)(B)(i)). In the
direct final rule, DOE concluded that at TSL 4 for residential clothes
dryers, the benefits of energy savings, generating capacity reductions,
emission reductions and the estimated monetary value of the
CO2 emissions reductions, and positive NPV of consumer
benefits outweigh the economic burden on some consumers due to the
increases in product cost and the profit margin impacts that could
result in a reduction in industry net present value for the
manufacturers. Thus, the Secretary concluded that TSL 4 offers the
maximum improvement in efficiency that is technologically feasible and
economically justified, and will result in the significant conservation
of energy.
AGA noted inconsistencies between DOE's LCC analysis and its
recalculated values using the same analytical tools that would change
the LCC savings into a cost. AGA stated that without any changes to the
user inputs or other variables, it ran the simulation with the Crystal
Ball software and calculated a $7 average LCC cost for gas dryers at
TSL 4, making the adopted standard for gas dryers not economically
justifiable. (AGA, No. 62 at pp. 1-2) In reviewing the LCC spreadsheet
for gas clothes dryers, DOE consistently reproduced the results for the
gas dryers at TSL 4 as reported in the technical support document (TSD)
(i.e., an average savings of $2) using MS Excel 2007 and Crystal Ball
software version 7.3.2. (2009). The different outcome from AGA's
simulation runs could be due to different software versions, different
initial settings for Crystal Ball, or other factors, though the
information provided by AGA was insufficient for DOE to determine the
cause of the differences.
2. Fuel Choice and Fuel Switching
Laclede Gas stated that because the direct final rule presents
energy efficiency ratings for clothes dryers based on site energy, it
misleads consumers into thinking that electric resistance heat is more
efficient than the direct use of natural gas for clothes drying.
(Laclede Gas, No. 59 at pp. 2-3) The units in which DOE expresses
energy conservation standards for appliances are based on the
definitions of ``energy efficiency'' and ``energy use'' provided by
EPCA. The term ``energy efficiency'' means the ratio of the useful
output of services from a consumer product to the energy use of such
product, determined in accordance with applicable test procedures, and
the term ``energy use'' means the quantity of energy directly consumed
by a consumer product at point of use, determined in accordance with
test procedures. (42 U.S.C. 6291(4-5)) DOE acknowledges that the energy
conservation standards in the direct final rule are higher for standard
vented electric dryers than for vented gas dryers (3.73 CEF vs. 3.30
CEF, respectively), but DOE does not find it credible that this fact
would lead consumers to thereby prefer electric dryers. While clothes
dryers do not have EnergyGuide labels, any such label would feature the
estimated annual operating cost, not the energy efficiency rating. The
estimated average annual operating cost of a gas dryer meeting the
amended standard is less than the similar cost for an electric dryer
meeting the amended standard, so it is implausible to expect that the
standards would lead consumers to prefer electric dryers over gas
dryers.
In a related comment, Laclede Gas stated that DOE ignored the
potential for fuel switching from gas to electric clothes drying.
(Laclede Gas, No. 59 at p. 4) DOE did not consider switching between
gas and electric clothes dryers as a result of the standards because
the average incremental cost of the standards for standard-size gas and
electric clothes dryers is approximately the same ($13). Thus, DOE
believes that the standards would be unlikely to induce fuel switching,
particularly given the additional costs associated with such switching
(e.g., the need to install a new dedicated electrical outlet).
3. Energy Price Forecast
AGA stated that DOE's use of the Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) 2010
Reference Case for energy prices under-accounts for the expansion of
the U.S. natural gas resource base resulting from technological
innovations for production of gas from tight shales. AGA recommended
that DOE conduct its analysis using the AEO Low Growth price scenario.
(AGA, No. 62 at p. 4) DOE traditionally uses the Reference Case
forecast from the most recent AEO available at the time of the analysis
for its default energy price forecast, and conducts sensitivity
analysis using the Low Growth and High Growth Cases. For this
rulemaking, the 2010 AEO was the most recent available forecast.
4. Employment Impacts
AGA, APGA, and Laclede Gas stated that DOE's estimated range of
impacts under TSL 4 for direct domestic employment in the manufacture
of gas dryers indicates that job loss is the more likely outcome of the
standards. (AGA, No. 62 at pp. 2-3; APGA, No. 61 at p. 1; Laclede Gas,
No. 59 at p. 4)
The results for clothes dryers under TSL 4 in the direct final rule
show impacts ranging from a gain of 460 jobs to a potential loss of
3,962 jobs. The potential loss reflects a scenario in which all
existing production would be moved outside of the United States. DOE
believes that this outcome is unlikely for the reasons stated in the
direct final rule. Specifically, at TSL 3 through TSL 5, DOE analyzed
design options for the most common clothes dryer product classes that
would add labor content to the final product. If manufacturers continue
to produce these more complex products in-house, it is likely that
employment would
[[Page 52860]]
increase in response to the amended energy conservation standards. At
TSL 3 through TSL 5, gains in domestic production employment are likely
because, while requiring more labor, the necessary changes could be
made within existing product platforms. The ability to make product
changes within existing platforms mitigates some of the pressure to
find lower labor costs, as relocating manufacturing facilities would
disrupt production and add significant capital costs.
5. Scientific Integrity
Laclede Gas stated that the energy factors established for clothes
dryers do not fulfill the scientific integrity objectives established
by the President's Memorandum on scientific integrity, published on May
9, 2009,\4\ and that there is no scientific integrity in mandating
standards that unfairly discriminate against the direct use of natural
gas. (Laclede Gas, No. 59 at p. 2)
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\4\ https://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Memorandum-for-the-Heads-of-Executive-Departments-and-Agencies-3-9-09/.
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DOE notes that the President's memo requires the Director of the
Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to develop
recommendations for Presidential action designed to guarantee
scientific integrity throughout the executive branch based on the
principles enumerated in the memorandum. DOE further notes that OSTP
issued a memorandum to the heads of executive departments and agencies
on December 17, 2010 pursuant to the President's May 9, 2009 memorandum
(https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/scientific-integrity-memo-12172010.pdf). The memorandum provides
guidance to agencies to implement the Administration's policies on
scientific integrity. The OSTP memo stated that agencies should develop
policies \5\ that, among other things, strengthen the actual and
perceived credibility of Government research, which would include
ensuring that data and research used to support policy decisions
undergo independent peer review by qualified experts, where feasible
and appropriate. Agency policies should also, among other things,
establish principles for conveying scientific and technological
information to the public.
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\5\ DOE has submitted its draft policy to OSTP. See https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/08/11/scientific-integrity-policies-submitted-ostp.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As stated in the direct final rule, DOE conducted formal in-
progress peer reviews of the energy conservation standards development
process and analyses and has prepared a Peer Review Report pertaining
to the energy conservation standards rulemaking analyses. Generation of
this report involved a rigorous, formal, and documented evaluation
using objective criteria and qualified and independent reviewers to
make a judgment as to the technical/scientific/business merit, the
actual or anticipated results, and the productivity and management
effectiveness of programs and/or projects. The ``Energy Conservation
Standards Rulemaking Peer Review Report'' dated February 2007 has been
disseminated and is available at the following Web site: https://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/peer_review.html.
DOE also makes its analyses and results available to the public in the
TSD developed for its energy conservation standards rulemakings. The
TSD for the direct final rule to establish energy conservation
standards for residential clothes dryers and room air conditioners is
available at: https://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/residential/residential_clothes_dryers_room_ac_direct_final_rule_tsd.html.
DOE further notes that both memoranda state explicitly that they
are not intended to create any right or benefit, substantive or
procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, by any party against the
United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers,
employees, agents or any other person.
Lastly, DOE disagrees with the commenter's assertion that the
amended standards for clothes dryers unfairly discriminate against the
direct use of natural gas. As discussed in section II.B.2 of this
notice, DOE finds no reason to expect that the standards will cause
consumers to prefer electric dryers over gas clothes dryers.
III. Other Comments on the Direct Final Rule
A. Standby Power Levels
AHAM commented that the energy conservation standards for
residential clothes dryers adopted in the direct final rule incorporate
0.08 Watts (W) of standby power for the vented clothes dryer product
classes. AHAM stated that this standby power level is low and requested
that DOE provide additional information on how that level was
determined. AHAM indicated that approximately 1-2 W of standby power is
required to power electronic controls and provide consumers with the
usability they expect. AHAM provided the example of the product's
central processing unit (CPU), which it stated must run while the
product is not in active mode and that the touch pad must remain
active. AHAM added that without those two elements a hard off switch
would be required and, as a result, the consumer would be required to
wait for the product to power up at the start of use. AHAM stated that
consumers are not likely to accept such a wait time to turn on the
product. (AHAM, No. 60 at p. 2)
As noted in chapter 5 of the direct final rule TSD, the standby
power levels for clothes dryers (including the 0.08 W standby power
level) were developed based on DOE testing and reversing engineering
analysis of products in its test sample. The 0.08 W standby power level
corresponds to a clothes dryer with electronic controls that uses a
conventional linear power supply, along with a transformerless power
supply that enables the CPU to remain on at all times while disabling
the main linear power supply whenever the clothes dryer is ``asleep''
(after periods of user inactivity). This power supply design,
incorporated with a ``soft'' power pushbutton and triac to control
power through the transformer, would provide just enough power through
the transformerless power supply to maintain the microcontroller chip
while the clothes dryer is not powered on. The control logic monitors
the clothes dryer for key-presses, door openings, etc., and when user
activity is detected, the logic activates the main linear power supply
to power the remainder of the control board. DOE notes that this design
option and standby power level was observed in DOE's sample of units
that were tested and reverse-engineered for the preliminary analyses.
As a result, DOE believes that products incorporating this design
option are currently available on the market and do not require a hard
on/off switch. In addition, DOE is unaware of any differences in the
time required to power up the controls using this power supply design
versus a conventional linear power supply or switch mode power supply
that also power down the display after a period of user inactivity. For
these reasons, DOE believes that the standby power level analyzed and
adopted in the direct final rule for vented dryer product classes is
appropriate.
AHAM also commented that DOE did not indicate what standby power
levels were incorporated into the energy conservation standards adopted
in the direct final rule for room air conditioners. As a result, AHAM
stated it was unable to comment on the appropriateness of the adopted
standard levels. (AHAM, No. 60 at p. 2) DOE has
[[Page 52861]]
provided additional information on the standby power levels
incorporated into the standards adopted in the direct final rule for
room air conditioners that can be found on the DOE Web site at: https://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/residential/pdfs/room_ac_efficiency_level_standby_table.pdf.
B. Test Procedure
The same parties that submitted the Joint Petition also submitted a
separate comment (Joint Comment) which supported the final adoption of
the standards in the direct final rule, but also noted that DOE's
revised clothes dryer test procedure that published in January 2011 did
not incorporate their recommendations to amend the test procedure to
better account for the effectiveness of automatic termination controls.
76 FR 972 (Jan. 6, 2011) As part of this recommendation, the Joint
Comment stated that DOE should revise its test procedure to measure the
energy use of automatic termination controls so that the procedure
includes the entire cycle, including the cool-down period. The Joint
Comment stated that it intends to submit new data gathered by
manufacturers along with a petition requesting a revision to the DOE
test procedure to account for the effectiveness of automatic
termination controls and include the full cycle, including cool-down.
The petition will also request a parallel revision to the energy
conservation standard to reflect the test procedure change, as required
by EPCA. The Joint Comment added that amending the test procedure to
capture the energy use of the entire dryer cycle could save significant
amounts of energy over 30 years and urged DOE to act upon their
upcoming petition as soon as possible. (Joint Comment, No. 64 at p. 1)
As noted in the clothes dryer test procedure request for
information (RFI) notice issued on August 9, 2011 and published in the
Federal Register on August 12, 2011 (76 FR 50145-48), DOE has initiated
a new test procedure rulemaking for clothes dryers to further
investigate the effects of automatic cycle termination on the energy
efficiency. In the RFI, DOE stated that it seeks information, data, and
comments regarding methods for more accurately measuring the effects of
automatic cycle termination in its clothes dryer test procedure. In
particular, DOE seeks information, data, and comments on the following
topics as they relate to automatic cycle termination: test load
characteristics, accuracy of different automatic cycle termination
sensors and controls, conditions of water used to wet the dryer test
load, and automatic termination cycle settings to be tested.
C. Equipment Price Forecasting
AHAM expressed concern regarding the use of experience curves in
equipment price forecasting. It stated that using experience curves (1)
Does not make the analysis more accurate; (2) gives the appearance, but
not the reality, of a more objective analysis; (3) hides the
subjectivity in the data selection process rather than in the analysis
itself; and (4) has no material effect on the ordering of the
conclusions. (AHAM, No. 60 at p. 2) As discussed in section IV.F.1 of
the direct final rule, DOE evaluated the above concerns (and those
expressed by other commenters on the NODA) and determined that
retaining the assumption-based approach of a constant real price trend
was not consistent with the historical data for the products covered in
this rule. Instead, consistent with the method proposed in the NODA,
DOE used experience curve fits to forecast product costs. To evaluate
the impact of the uncertainty of the price trend estimates, DOE
performed price trend sensitivity calculations in the national impact
analysis to examine the dependence of the analysis results on different
analytical assumptions. DOE found that for the selected standard levels
the benefits outweighed the burdens under all scenarios. DOE notes that
it may modify its price trend forecasting methods as more data and
information becomes available.
D. Indirect Environmental Impacts
AHAM stated that, to understand the total environmental impact,
DOE's analysis should also consider indirect CO2 emissions,
such as increased carbon emissions required to manufacture a product at
a given standard level, increased transportation and related emissions,
and reduced carbon emissions from peak load reductions. (AHAM, No. 60
at p. 2) As discussed in section II.A.3, DOE is evaluating the full-
fuel-cycle measure, which includes the energy consumed in extracting,
processing, and transporting primary fuels. DOE's current accounting of
primary energy savings and the full-fuel-cycle measure are directly
linked to the energy used by appliances or equipment. DOE believes that
energy used in the manufacture or transport of appliances or equipment
falls outside the boundaries of ``directly'' as intended by EPCA. Thus,
DOE did not consider such energy use in the national impact analysis.
DOE did not include the emissions associated with such energy use for
the same reason.
E. Other Comments
DOE received one comment from a private citizen generally
supporting the standards in the direct final rule.
IV. Department of Justice Analysis of Competitive Impacts
EPCA directs DOE to consider any lessening of competition that is
likely to result from new or amended standards. It also directs the
Attorney General of the United States (Attorney General) to determine
the impact, if any, of any lessening of competition likely to result
from a proposed standard and to transmit such determination to the
Secretary within 60 days of the publication of a proposed rule,
together with an analysis of the nature and extent of the impact. (42
U.S.C. 6295(o)(2)(B)(i)(V) and (B)(ii)) DOE published a NOPR containing
energy conservation standards identical to those set forth the direct
final rule and transmitted a copy of the direct final rule and the
accompanying TSD to the Attorney General, requesting that the U.S.
Department of Justice (DOJ) provide its determination on this issue.
DOE has published DOJ's comments at the end of this notice.
DOJ reviewed the amended standards in the direct final rule and the
final TSD provided by DOE, and also conducted interviews with industry
members. As a result of its analysis, DOJ concluded that the amended
standards issued in the direct final rule are unlikely to have a
significant adverse impact on competition. DOJ further noted that the
amended standards established in the direct final rule were the same as
recommended standards submitted in the Joint Petition signed by
industry participants who believed they could meet the standards (as
well as other interested parties).
V. Amended Compliance Dates
In the direct final rule and corresponding NOPR published in the
Federal Register on April 21, 2011, DOE provided for a compliance date
for the amended energy conservation standards for residential clothes
dryers and room air conditioners of 3 years after the date of
publication, or April 21, 2014. The standards set forth in the direct
final rule and NOPR were consistent with the Consensus Agreement that
served as the basis for those rulemaking actions. The Consensus
Agreement also provided specific compliance dates for both products--
June 1, 2014 for room air conditioners and January 1, 2015 for clothes
dryers. The compliance date of the direct final rule and NOPR did not
correspond with the compliance dates
[[Page 52862]]
specified in Consensus Agreement. As a result, DOE proposed to amend
the compliance dates set forth in the direct final rule and
corresponding NOPR to be consistent with the compliance dates set out
in the consensus agreement. DOE received comments in support of the
amended compliance dates and did not receive any comments objecting to
those amended dates. In a final rule published elsewhere in today's
Federal Register, DOE adopts the compliance dates for the standards
established in the direct final specified in the Consensus Agreement--
June 1, 2014 for room air conditioners and January 1, 2015 for clothes
dryers.
VI. National Environmental Policy Act
Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act and the
requirements of 42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(2)(B)(i)(VI), DOE prepared an
environmental assessment (EA) of the impacts of the standards for
clothes dryers and room air conditioners in the direct final rule,
which was included as chapter 15 of the direct final rule TSD. DOE
found that the environmental effects associated with the standards for
clothes dryers and room air conditioners were not significant.
Therefore, after consideration of the comments received on the direct
final rule, DOE issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
pursuant to NEPA, the regulations of the Council on Environmental
Quality (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and DOE's regulations for compliance
with NEPA (10 CFR part 1021). The FONSI is available in the docket for
this rulemaking and at: https://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/residential/pdfs/fonsi.pdf.\6\
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\6\ DOE stated erroneously in the direct final rule published on
April 21, 2011 that the FONSI had been issued at that time. This
document corrects that statement.
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VII. Conclusion
In summary, based on the discussion above, DOE has determined that
the comments received in response to the direct final rule for amended
energy conservation standards for residential clothes dryers and room
air conditioners do not provide a reasonable basis for withdrawal of
the direct final rule. As a result, the amended energy conservation
standards set forth in the direct final rule were effective on August
19, 2011. Pursuant to the document published elsewhere in today's
Federal Register, compliance with these standards is required on June
1, 2014 for room air conditioners and on January 1, 2015 for clothes
dryers.
Issued in Washington, DC, on August 18, 2011.
Timothy Unruh,
Program Manager, Federal Energy Management Program, Energy Efficiency
and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2011-21640 Filed 8-23-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P