Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Water Heaters, 18167-18168 [2015-07706]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 64 / Friday, April 3, 2015 / Proposed Rules
may aggregate the requests and charge
accordingly. OGE will presume that
multiple requests of this type made
within a 30-calendar day period have
been made in order to evade fees.
Multiple requests regarding unrelated
matters will not be aggregated.
(c) * * *
(1) OGE estimates or determines that
the total fee to be assessed under this
section is likely to exceed $250.00.
When a determination is made that the
allowable charges are likely to exceed
$250.00, the requester will be notified of
the likely cost and will be required to
provide satisfactory assurance of full
payment where the requester has a
history of prompt payment of FOIA fees,
or will be required to submit an advance
payment of an amount up to the full
estimated charges in the case of
requesters with no history of payment;
or
(2) A requester has previously failed
to pay a fee charged in a timely fashion
(i.e., within 30 calendar days of the date
of the billing). In such cases the
requester may be required to pay the full
amount owed plus any applicable
interest as provided by paragraph (e) of
this section, and to make an advance
payment of the full amount of the
estimated fee before OGE begins to
process a new request.
(3) When OGE requests an advance
payment of fees, the administrative time
limits described in subsection (a)(6) of
the FOIA will begin to run only after
OGE has received the advance payment.
(d) Billing and payment. Normally
OGE will require a requester to pay all
fees before furnishing the requested
records. However, OGE may send a bill
along with, or following the furnishing
of records, in cases where the requester
has a history of prompt payment.
(e) Interest charges. Interest charges
on an unpaid bill may be assessed
starting on the 31st calendar day
following the day on which the billing
was sent. Interest will be at the rate
prescribed in 31 U.S.C. 3717 and will
accrue from the date of billing. To
collect unpaid bills, OGE will follow the
provisions of the Debt Collection Act of
1982, as amended (96 Stat. 1749 et seq.)
including the use of consumer reporting
agencies, collection agencies, and offset.
■ 32. Revise § 2604.601 to read as
follows:
Information Act (FOIA) during the
preceding fiscal year. The report will
include the information required by 5
U.S.C. 552(e).
18167
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
10 CFR Part 430
[Docket No. EERE–2012–BT–STD–0022]
§ 2604.602
[Removed]
■
RIN 1904–AC78
■
Energy Conservation Program for
Consumer Products: Energy
Conservation Standards for
Residential Water Heaters
33. Remove § 2604.602.
34. Revise § 2604.701 to read as
follows:
§ 2604.701
Policy.
Fees for the reproduction and mailing
of public financial disclosure reports
(SF 278s) requested pursuant to section
105 of the Ethics in Government Act of
1978, as amended, and § 2634.603 of
this chapter will be assessed according
to the schedule contained in § 2604.702.
Requesters will pay fees by check or
money order made payable to the
Treasury of the United States. Except as
provided in § 2604.702(d), nothing
concerning fees in subpart E of this part
supersedes the charges set forth in this
subpart for records covered in this
subpart.
■ 35. Amend § 2604.702 by revising
paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) to read as
follows:
§ 2604.702
Charges.
(a) Duplication. Except as provided in
paragraph (c) of this section, copies of
public financial disclosure reports (SF
278s) requested pursuant to section 105
of the Ethics in Government Act of
1978, as amended, and § 2634.603 of
this chapter will be provided upon
payment of $0.15 per page furnished.
(b) Mailing. Except as provided in
paragraph (c) of this section, the actual
direct cost of mailing public financial
disclosure reports will be charged for all
forms requested. Where OGE elects to
comply, as a matter of administrative
discretion, with a request for special
mailing services, the actual direct cost
of such service will be charged.
(c) Minimum fees. OGE will not assess
fees for individual requests if the total
charge would be $10.00 or less.
*
*
*
*
*
Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Proposed rule; withdrawal.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE) withdraws a proposed
rule published in the Federal Register
on February 26, 2013 that proposed to
establish a waiver process to allow the
manufacture and sale of certain largevolume (>55 gallon) electric storage
water heaters under 1-year waivers
granted by DOE, provided that a specific
set of features are included and
conditions are met to ensure their use
only in residences enrolled in utility
electric thermal storage (ETS) programs.
DATES: The proposed rule published on
February 26, 2013 at 78 FR 12969 is
withdrawn as of April 3, 2015.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ms. Ashley Armstrong, U.S. Department
of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency
and Renewable Energy, Building
Technologies, EE–2J, 1000
Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20585–0121.
Telephone: (202) 586–6590. Email:
Ashley.Armstrong@ee.doe.gov.
Mr. Eric Stas, U.S. Department of
Energy, Office of the General Counsel,
GC–33, 1000 Independence Avenue
SW., Washington, DC 20585–0121.
Telephone: (202) 586–5827. Email:
Eric.Stas@hq.doe.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
I. Authority
§ 2604.601 Electronic posting and
submission of annual OGE FOIA report.
Title III, Part B 1 of the Energy Policy
and Conservation Act of 1975 (‘‘EPCA’’
or ‘‘the Act’’), Public Law 94–163 (42
U.S.C. 6291–6309, as codified)
established the Energy Conservation
Program for Consumer Products Other
Than Automobiles.2 These products
include residential water heaters
(RWH), the subject of this document. (42
U.S.C. 6292(a)(4))
On or before February 1 of each year,
OGE will electronically post on its Web
site and submit to the Office of
Information and Privacy at the United
States Department of Justice a report of
its activities relating to the Freedom of
1 For editorial reasons, upon codification in the
U.S. Code, Part B was redesignated as Part A.
2 All references to EPCA in this document refer
to the statute as amended through the American
Energy Manufacturing Technical Corrections Act
(AEMTCA), Public Law 112–210 (Dec. 18, 2012).
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:20 Apr 02, 2015
Jkt 235001
[FR Doc. 2015–07376 Filed 4–2–15; 8:45 am]
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asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
18168
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 64 / Friday, April 3, 2015 / Proposed Rules
II. Background
The National Appliance Energy
Conservation Act of 1987 (NAECA; Pub.
L. 100–12) amended EPCA to, among
other things, establish energy
conservation standards for residential
water heaters. (42 U.S.C. 6295(e)(1); 42
U.S.C. 6295(e)(4)) DOE initially
amended the statutorily prescribed
standards for water heaters in a final
rule published on January 17, 2001. 66
FR 4474 (Jan. 17, 2001). Subsequently,
DOE amended the residential water
heater standards a second time in
another final rule published on April
16, 2010 (hereinafter known as the April
2010 final rule). 73 FR 20112 (April 16,
2010).
The energy conservation standards for
residential water heaters adopted in the
April 2010 final rule will apply to
products manufactured on or after April
16, 2015. 75 FR 20234 (April 16, 2010).
The amended energy conservation
standards consist of minimum energy
factors 3 (EF) that vary based on the
rated storage volume of the water heater,
the type of energy it uses (i.e., gas, oil,
or electricity), and whether it is a
storage, instantaneous, or tabletop
model. 10 CFR 430.32(d) Of particular
relevance to this notice, electric water
heaters with a rated storage volume
above 55 gallons (referred to hereinafter
as ‘‘large-volume’’ electric storage water
heaters) will be required to have an
energy factor of at least 2.057 ¥
(0.00113 × Rated Storage Volume in
gallons). Id. Such a level is currently
achievable only by using heat pump
water heater technology and cannot be
achieved in electric water heaters that
rely solely on electric resistance
elements.
Subsequent to the publication of the
April 2010 final rule, several
stakeholders indicated to DOE their
concerns about the interaction of the
amended standards in the April 2010
final rule and the use of large-volume
electric storage water heaters in utility
ETS programs. To gather additional
information on the impact of the
amended standard established in the
April 2010 final rule on ETS programs
that use large-volume electric storage
water heaters, DOE issued a request for
information (RFI) and received
numerous additional comments on
these topics. 77 FR 35299 (June 13,
2012). After considering comments
submitted by interested parties, DOE
published a notice of proposed
rulemaking (NOPR) proposing to
establish a waiver process to allow any
3 Energy factor is a measure of overall water
heater efficiency that accounts for efficiency during
active, standby, and cyclical operation.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:20 Apr 02, 2015
Jkt 235001
manufacturer, utility, or a combination
of the two to request a waiver granting
an exemption from the amended energy
conservation standards established in
the April 2010 final rule for certain
large-volume electric storage water
heaters used in an ETS program. 78 FR
12969 (Feb. 26, 2013). As proposed,
each waiver would have allowed
manufacturers to produce, for a 1-year
period, a limited number of largevolume electric storage water heaters
that would not otherwise meet the April
2010 amended standard levels, provided
that a specific set of features are
included and conditions are met to
ensure their use exclusively in utility
ETS programs. More information on
DOE’s waiver proposal and stakeholder
feedback can be found in the
rulemaking docket.4
III. Discussion
IV. Approval of the Office of the
Secretary
The Secretary of Energy has approved
publication of this withdrawal.
Issued in Washington, DC, on March 26,
2015.
Roland Risser,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy
Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy.
[FR Doc. 2015–07706 Filed 4–2–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
4 https://www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=EERE-2012-BT-STD-0022.
Frm 00010
Fmt 4702
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 193
[Docket No.: FAA–2014–0142]
RIN 2120–AA66
Federal Contract Tower Safety Action
Program (SAFER–FCT and Air Traffic
Safety Action Program for Engineers &
Architects, Staff Support Specialists,
Aviation Technical System Specialists
(Series 2186) and Flight Procedures
Team (ATSAP–X)
Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Proposed Order
Designating Safety Information as
Protected from Disclosure
AGENCY:
The FAA is proposing that
safety information provided to it by
Federal Contract Tower employees
(hereinafter ‘‘Vendor’’) under the
SAFER–FCT Program or by Air Traffic
Organization Engineers & Architects,
Staff Support Specialists, Aviation
Technical System Specialists (Series
2186) and Flight Procedures Team
(hereinafter ‘‘Region X’’) under the
ATSAP–X program be designated by an
FAA Order as protected from public
disclosure in accordance with the
provisions of 14 CFR part 193. The
designation is intended to encourage
persons to voluntarily provide
information to the FAA under the
SAFER–FCT or the ATSAP–X safety
reporting programs, so the FAA can
learn about and address aviation safety
hazards of which it was unaware or
more fully understand and implement
corrective measures for events known
by it through other means. Under 49
U.S.C. 40123, the FAA is required to
protect information from disclosure to
the public, including disclosure under
the Freedom of Information Act (5
U.S.C. 552) or other laws, following the
issuance of such Order.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before May 4, 2015.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments
identified by docket number FAA–
2014–0142 using any of the following
methods: via mail to U.S. Department of
Transportation, Docket Operations, M–
30, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West
Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140,
Washington DC 20590–0339; telephone
(202) 366–9826. You must identify the
FAA Docket No. FAA–2014–0142 at the
beginning of your comments. You may
also submit comments through the
Internet at https://www.regulations.gov.
SUMMARY:
By this document, DOE withdraws its
February 26, 2013 NOPR. DOE
commissioned a study to examine the
capability of large-capacity water
heaters, both resistance and heat pump,
to support ETS programs and found
both water heater types worked for such
programs. For additional discussion of
the capability of using large-volume
electric storage water heaters that meet
the April 2010 amended standard levels
to support utility ETS programs, see the
following reports: https://www.pnnl.gov/
main/publications/external/technical_
reports/PNNL-23527.pdf and https://
www.pnnl.gov/main/publications/
external/technical_reports/PNNL–
23697.pdf.
PO 00000
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 64 (Friday, April 3, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 18167-18168]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-07706]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
10 CFR Part 430
[Docket No. EERE-2012-BT-STD-0022]
RIN 1904-AC78
Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Energy
Conservation Standards for Residential Water Heaters
AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Proposed rule; withdrawal.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) withdraws a proposed rule
published in the Federal Register on February 26, 2013 that proposed to
establish a waiver process to allow the manufacture and sale of certain
large-volume (>55 gallon) electric storage water heaters under 1-year
waivers granted by DOE, provided that a specific set of features are
included and conditions are met to ensure their use only in residences
enrolled in utility electric thermal storage (ETS) programs.
DATES: The proposed rule published on February 26, 2013 at 78 FR 12969
is withdrawn as of April 3, 2015.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ms. Ashley Armstrong, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies, EE-2J, 1000
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: (202)
586-6590. Email: Ashley.Armstrong@ee.doe.gov.
Mr. Eric Stas, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General
Counsel, GC-33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-
0121. Telephone: (202) 586-5827. Email: Eric.Stas@hq.doe.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Authority
Title III, Part B \1\ of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of
1975 (``EPCA'' or ``the Act''), Public Law 94-163 (42 U.S.C. 6291-6309,
as codified) established the Energy Conservation Program for Consumer
Products Other Than Automobiles.\2\ These products include residential
water heaters (RWH), the subject of this document. (42 U.S.C.
6292(a)(4))
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ For editorial reasons, upon codification in the U.S. Code,
Part B was redesignated as Part A.
\2\ All references to EPCA in this document refer to the statute
as amended through the American Energy Manufacturing Technical
Corrections Act (AEMTCA), Public Law 112-210 (Dec. 18, 2012).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 18168]]
II. Background
The National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987 (NAECA; Pub.
L. 100-12) amended EPCA to, among other things, establish energy
conservation standards for residential water heaters. (42 U.S.C.
6295(e)(1); 42 U.S.C. 6295(e)(4)) DOE initially amended the statutorily
prescribed standards for water heaters in a final rule published on
January 17, 2001. 66 FR 4474 (Jan. 17, 2001). Subsequently, DOE amended
the residential water heater standards a second time in another final
rule published on April 16, 2010 (hereinafter known as the April 2010
final rule). 73 FR 20112 (April 16, 2010).
The energy conservation standards for residential water heaters
adopted in the April 2010 final rule will apply to products
manufactured on or after April 16, 2015. 75 FR 20234 (April 16, 2010).
The amended energy conservation standards consist of minimum energy
factors \3\ (EF) that vary based on the rated storage volume of the
water heater, the type of energy it uses (i.e., gas, oil, or
electricity), and whether it is a storage, instantaneous, or tabletop
model. 10 CFR 430.32(d) Of particular relevance to this notice,
electric water heaters with a rated storage volume above 55 gallons
(referred to hereinafter as ``large-volume'' electric storage water
heaters) will be required to have an energy factor of at least 2.057 -
(0.00113 x Rated Storage Volume in gallons). Id. Such a level is
currently achievable only by using heat pump water heater technology
and cannot be achieved in electric water heaters that rely solely on
electric resistance elements.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Energy factor is a measure of overall water heater
efficiency that accounts for efficiency during active, standby, and
cyclical operation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subsequent to the publication of the April 2010 final rule, several
stakeholders indicated to DOE their concerns about the interaction of
the amended standards in the April 2010 final rule and the use of
large-volume electric storage water heaters in utility ETS programs. To
gather additional information on the impact of the amended standard
established in the April 2010 final rule on ETS programs that use
large-volume electric storage water heaters, DOE issued a request for
information (RFI) and received numerous additional comments on these
topics. 77 FR 35299 (June 13, 2012). After considering comments
submitted by interested parties, DOE published a notice of proposed
rulemaking (NOPR) proposing to establish a waiver process to allow any
manufacturer, utility, or a combination of the two to request a waiver
granting an exemption from the amended energy conservation standards
established in the April 2010 final rule for certain large-volume
electric storage water heaters used in an ETS program. 78 FR 12969
(Feb. 26, 2013). As proposed, each waiver would have allowed
manufacturers to produce, for a 1-year period, a limited number of
large-volume electric storage water heaters that would not otherwise
meet the April 2010 amended standard levels, provided that a specific
set of features are included and conditions are met to ensure their use
exclusively in utility ETS programs. More information on DOE's waiver
proposal and stakeholder feedback can be found in the rulemaking
docket.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=EERE-2012-BT-
STD-0022.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
III. Discussion
By this document, DOE withdraws its February 26, 2013 NOPR. DOE
commissioned a study to examine the capability of large-capacity water
heaters, both resistance and heat pump, to support ETS programs and
found both water heater types worked for such programs. For additional
discussion of the capability of using large-volume electric storage
water heaters that meet the April 2010 amended standard levels to
support utility ETS programs, see the following reports: https://www.pnnl.gov/main/publications/external/technical_reports/PNNL-23527.pdf and https://www.pnnl.gov/main/publications/external/technical_reports/PNNL-23697.pdf.
IV. Approval of the Office of the Secretary
The Secretary of Energy has approved publication of this
withdrawal.
Issued in Washington, DC, on March 26, 2015.
Roland Risser,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2015-07706 Filed 4-2-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
