Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Cooking Products, 71406-71409 [2021-27136]

Download as PDF khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with PROPOSALS 71406 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 239 / Thursday, December 16, 2021 / Proposed Rules a written agreement specifically allows this option. (3) FCIC has the right to not allow this option on a written agreement in accordance with the provisions in section 18 of the Basic Provisions. Optional Coverage for Fresh Fruit Quality Adjustment Example: You have a 100 percent share in 10 acres of fresh apples designated on your acreage report, with a 600 bushel per acre guarantee, and you select 100 percent of the price election on a price election of $9.10 per bushel. You harvest 5,000 marketable bushels of apples from your designated fresh apple acreage, but only 2,650 of those bushels grade U.S. Fancy or better. Assuming you do not sell any of your fresh apple production, your indemnity would be calculated as follows: (A) 10 acres × 600 bushels per acre = 6,000-bushel production guarantee of fresh apples; (B) 6,000-bushel production guarantee of fresh apples × $9.10 price election × 100 percent of price election = $54,600 value of production guarantee for fresh apple acreage; (C) The value of the fresh apple production to count is determined as follows: (i) 5,000 bushels harvested¥2,650 bushels that graded U.S. Fancy or better = 2,350 bushels of fresh apple production not grading U.S. Fancy or better; (ii) 2,350/5,000 = 47 percent of fresh apple production not grading U.S. Fancy or better; (iii) In accordance with section 14(b)(5)(i): 47 percent¥15 percent = 32 percent in excess of 15 percent; (iv) 32 percent × 2 = 64 percent; (v) 5,000 bushels harvested × .64 (64 percent)¥3,200 bushels of fresh apple production not grading U.S. Fancy or better; (vi) 5,000 bushels harvested¥3,200 bushels of fresh apple production not grading U.S. Fancy or better = 1,800 bushels of adjusted fresh apple production to count; (vii) 1,800 bushels of adjusted fresh apples production to count × $9.10 price election × 100 percent of price election = $16,380 value of fresh apple production to count; (D) $54,600 value of production guarantee for fresh apples¥$16,380 value of fresh apple production to count = $38,220 value of loss; (E) $38,220 value of loss × 100 percent share = $38,220 indemnity payment. Richard Flournoy, Acting Manager, Federal Crop Insurance Corporation. [FR Doc. 2021–26989 Filed 12–14–21; 11:15 am] BILLING CODE 3410–08–P VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:30 Dec 15, 2021 Jkt 256001 DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 10 CFR Part 430 [EERE–2021–BT–TP–0023] RIN 1904–AF18 Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Cooking Products Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; extension of public comment period and notification of data availability (NODA). AGENCY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is extending the public comment period for the notice of proposed rulemaking (‘‘NOPR’’) that DOE published on November 4, 2021 regarding a proposal for a new test procedure for conventional cooking tops, a category of cooking products, that would replace the procedure that DOE withdrew on August 18, 2020. DOE is also publishing a NODA regarding the results of DOE’s recently completed test program assessing the repeatability and reproducibility of the proposed test procedure. DOE is publishing the results of its testing and requests comment, data, and information regarding the results. DATES: The comment period for the NOPR which published on November 4, 2021 (86 FR 60974), is extended. DOE will accept comments, data, and information regarding the NOPR and NODA on or before January 18, 2022. ADDRESSES: Interested persons are encouraged to submit comments using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Alternatively, interested persons may submit comments, identified by docket number EERE–2021–BT–TP–0023, by any of the following methods: 1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. 2. Email: CookingProducts2021@ ee.doe.gov. Include the docket number EERE–2021–BT–TP–0023 in the subject line of the message. No telefacsimilies (‘‘faxes’’) will be accepted. For detailed instructions on submitting comments and additional information on this process, see section III of this document. Although DOE has routinely accepted public comment submissions through a variety of mechanisms, including postal mail and hand delivery/courier, the Department has found it necessary to make temporary modifications to the comment submission process in light of SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 the ongoing coronavirus 2019 (‘‘COVID– 19’’) pandemic. DOE is currently suspending receipt of public comments via postal mail and hand delivery/ courier. If a commenter finds that this change poses an undue hardship, please contact Appliance Standards Program staff at (202) 586–1445 to discuss the need for alternative arrangements. Once the COVID–19 pandemic health emergency is resolved, DOE anticipates resuming all of its regular options for public comment submission, including postal mail and hand delivery/courier. Docket: The docket for this activity, which includes Federal Register notices, public meeting attendee lists and transcripts (if a public meeting is held), comments, and other supporting documents/materials, is available for review at www.regulations.gov. All documents in the docket are listed in the www.regulations.gov index. However, some documents listed in the index, such as those containing information that is exempt from public disclosure, may not be publicly available. The docket web page can be found at www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE2021-BT-TP-0023. The docket web page contains instructions on how to access all documents, including public comments, in the docket. See section III for information on how to submit comments through www.regulations.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Stephanie Johnson, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Office, EE–2J, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585–0121. Telephone: (202) 287– 1943. Email: ApplianceStandardsQuestions@ ee.doe.gov. Ms. Celia Sher, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General Counsel, GC–33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585–0121. Telephone: (202) 287–6122. Email: Celia.Sher@hq.doe.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Table of Contents I. Background II. Summary of Additional Testing Performed by DOE III. Extension of the Comment Period I. Background DOE originally established test procedures for cooking products in a final rule published in the Federal Register on May 10, 1978. 43 FR 20108, 20120–20128. In the years following, DOE amended the test procedure for conventional cooking tops on several E:\FR\FM\16DEP1.SGM 16DEP1 khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with PROPOSALS Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 239 / Thursday, December 16, 2021 / Proposed Rules occasions. Those amendments included the adoption of standby and off mode provisions in a final rule published on October 31, 2012. 77 FR 65942. In a final rule published December 16, 2016 (‘‘December 2016 Final Rule’’), DOE amended 10 CFR part 430 to incorporate by reference, for use in the conventional cooking tops test procedure, the relevant sections of Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization Standard 60350– 2:2013, ‘‘Household electric appliances—Part 2: Hobs—Method for measuring performance’’ (‘‘EN 60350– 2:2013’’), which uses a water-heating test method to measure the energy consumption of electric cooking tops. 81 FR 91418. The December 2016 Final Rule also extended the water-heating test method specified in EN 60350– 2:2013 to gas cooking tops. Id. On August 18, 2020, DOE published a final rule (‘‘August 2020 Final Rule’’) withdrawing the test procedure for conventional cooking tops. 85 FR 50757. DOE initiated the rulemaking for the August 2020 Final Rule in response to a petition for rulemaking submitted by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (‘‘AHAM’’), in which AHAM asserted that the then-current test procedure for gas cooking tops was not representative, and, for both gas and electric cooking tops, had such a high level of variation that it did not produce accurate results for certification and enforcement purposes and did not assist consumers in making purchasing decisions based on energy efficiency (‘‘AHAM petition’’). 85 FR 50757, 50760; see also 80 FR 17944 (Apr. 25, 2018). DOE withdrew the test procedure for conventional cooking tops because testing conducted by DOE and outside parties using that test procedure yielded inconsistent results. 85 FR 50757, 50760. As described in the August 2020 Final Rule, DOE’s test data for electric cooking tops showed only small variations (within tests conducted at a single laboratory) while lab-to-lab test results submitted by AHAM showed high levels of variation for gas and electric cooking tops, indicating that the test may not have been reproducible across labs. Id. at 85 FR 50763. DOE was not able to identify the cause of variation. Id. DOE determined that the inconsistency in test results indicated that the results were unreliable, and that it was unduly burdensome to retain the procedure and require cooking top tests be conducted using that test method without further study to resolve those inconsistencies. Id. at 85 FR 50760. In January 2020, DOE initiated a round robin test program to further investigate VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:30 Dec 15, 2021 Jkt 256001 the water-heating approach and the issues raised in the AHAM petition.1 DOE published a NOPR on November 4, 2021 (‘‘November 2021 NOPR’’) in which it presented results from the initial round robin test program and proposed to reestablish a test procedure for conventional cooking tops. 86 FR 60974. The proposed test procedure would adopt the latest version of the relevant industry standard 2 with modifications to adapt the test method to gas cooking tops, offer an optional method for burden reduction, normalize the energy use of each test cycle, include measurement of standby mode and off mode energy use, update certain test conditions, and provide certain clarifying language. Id. The results of the initial round robin testing initiated in January 2020 were presented in Table III.1 and Table III.2 of the November 2021 NOPR. 86 FR 60974, 60979–60980. The results of this testing showed repeatability and reproducibility coefficients of variation (‘‘COVs’’) under 2 percent for electric cooking tops tested at certified laboratories. Id. at 86 FR 60980. In the November 2021 NOPR, DOE also observed that for gas cooking tops, the repeatability COVs were of 0.3–3.7 percent and the reproducibility COVs ranged from 4.0 to 8.9 percent. Id. II. Summary of Additional Testing Performed by DOE Following the August 2020 Final Rule, in May 2021, DOE initiated a second round robin test program in response to changes to electric cooking tops on the market and to evaluate potential variability in testing gas cooking tops. This NODA presents the results from the second round robin test program. For the second round robin test program, DOE conducted two replications of the test procedure according to the test procedure proposed in the November 2021 NOPR, using the same three certified test laboratories as were used in the initial round robin testing, and using four out of the five gas cooking tops that were used during the initial round robin testing.3 1 This testing was conducted according to the cooking top test procedure, as published in December 2016. 2 International Electrotechnical Commission (‘‘IEC’’) Standard 60350–2 (Edition 2.0 2017–08), ‘‘Household electric cooking appliances—Part 2: Hobs—Methods for measuring performance.’’ 3 Due to time constraints, Unit #11 in the test sample was not tested at Laboratory B, but was instead tested at Laboratory E, a non-certified test laboratory which has experience testing electric cooking tops. PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 71407 DOE included one electric-coil cooking top that meets the most recent version of the relevant industry safety standard in its second round robin. In response to AHAM’s petition, Whirlpool submitted comments regarding the frequency of heating element cycling, stating that the introduction of a ‘‘coil surface unit cooking oil ignition test’’ to the 16th edition of the Underwriters Laboratory (‘‘UL’’) standard 858, ‘‘Household Electric Ranges Standard for Safety’’ (‘‘UL 858’’) resulted in manufacturers making design changes to electric-coil cooking tops that increased cycling frequency over shorter durations in order to maintain a constant temperature. (Whirlpool, EERE–2018– BT–TP–0004, No. 20 at pp. 2–3) 4 The 16th edition of UL 858 published on November 7, 2014. On June 18, 2015, UL issued a revision to UL 858 that added a new performance requirement for electric-coil cooking tops intended to address unattended cooking, the ‘‘Abnormal Operation—Coil Surface Unit Cooking Oil Ignition Test.’’ This revision had an effective date of April 4, 2019. Because the electric-coil cooking top in DOE’s initial round robin testing was purchased prior to that effective date, DOE could not be certain whether that test unit contained design features that would meet the performance specifications in the 2015 revision of UL 858. To address the lack of test data on electric-coil cooking tops that comply with the 2015 revision of the UL 858 safety standard, DOE included one electric-coil cooking top meeting the 2015 revision of UL 858 in its second round robin (labeled as Unit #11 in the test data). To address the reproducibility concerns with the prior gas cooking top test results, DOE tested four gas cooking tops. As discussed in the November 2021 NOPR, several of the proposed test procedure provisions were intended to specifically reduce the testing variability for gas cooking tops. The results from testing the electric cook tops and the gas cook tops are as follows. DOE observed that an electriccoil cooking top meeting the 2015 update of the UL 858 safety standard had repeatability COVs under 1 percent, and a reproducibility COV under 3 percent. DOE also observed that the repeatability COV for gas cooking tops 4 The parenthetical reference provides a reference for information located in the docket of DOE’s rulemaking regarding test procedures for conventional cooking tops. The references are arranged as follows: (Commenter name, comment docket ID number, page of that document). (Docket No. EERE–2018–BT–TP–0004, which is maintained at www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE-2018-BT-TP0004). E:\FR\FM\16DEP1.SGM 16DEP1 71408 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 239 / Thursday, December 16, 2021 / Proposed Rules khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with PROPOSALS decreased to values under 2 percent (compared to a maximum of 3.7 percent from the first round robin), and the reproducibility COV for gas cooking tops decreased to values largely under 4 percent, with a maximum of 5.3 percent (compared to a maximum of 8.9 percent from the first round robin). DOE notes that the average annual energy use as measured under the test procedure proposed in the November 2021 NOPR differs substantively from the average annual energy use measured for a given cooking top in the initial round robin, due primarily to the update in the number of annual cooking top cycles from 214.F5 cycles per year for gas cooking tops in the test procedure as published in December 2016 to 418 cycles per year as proposed in the November 2021 NOPR.5 86 FR 60974, 60994. As also discussed in the November 2021 NOPR, DOE proposed a target power density for the optional potential simmering setting pre-selection test for gas cooking tops of 4.0 British thermal units per hour per square centimeter. Id. at 86 FR 60990. This proposal was based on the estimated power density for gas cooking top tests conducted as part of the initial round robin. As part of the second round robin testing on gas cooking tops, DOE has collected additional data on the measured power density of the minimum-abovethreshold input setting and the maximum-below-threshold input setting for all four tested gas cooking tops, which may be compared to the proposed target power density. The test data are available in the docket for this proposed rulemaking at: www.regulations.gov/document/EERE2021-BT-TP-0023-0004. III. Extension of the Comment Period For the November 2021 NOPR, comments were originally due no later than January 3, 2022. In light of this NODA, DOE has determined that it is appropriate to extend the comment period to allow additional time for interested parties to prepare and submit comments. Therefore, DOE is extending the comment period and will accept comments, data, and information on the November 2021 NOPR and this NODA on and before January 18, 2022. Submitting comments via www.regulations.gov. The 5 Other proposals in the November 2021 NOPR likely to impact annual energy use include the starting water temperature (15 degrees Celsius (‘‘°C’’) in the procedure as published in December 2016, and 25 °C in the proposed test procedure), the normalization of the per-cycle energy use to account for the final water temperature, and the update test vessel selection criteria. VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:30 Dec 15, 2021 Jkt 256001 www.regulations.gov web page will require you to provide your name and contact information. Your contact information will be viewable to DOE Building Technologies staff only. 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Documents should not contain special characters or any form of encryption and, if possible, they should carry the electronic signature of the author. Campaign form letters. Please submit campaign form letters by the originating organization in batches of between 50 to 500 form letters per PDF or as one form letter with a list of supporters’ names compiled into one or more PDFs. This reduces comment processing and posting time. Confidential Business Information. According to 10 CFR 1004.11, any person submitting information that he or she believes to be confidential and exempt by law from public disclosure should submit via email two wellmarked copies: One copy of the document marked confidential including all the information believed to be confidential, and one copy of the document marked non-confidential with the information believed to be confidential deleted. DOE will make its own determination about the confidential status of the information and treat it according to its determination. It is DOE’s policy that all comments may be included in the public docket, without change and as received, including any personal information provided in the comments (except information deemed to be exempt from public disclosure). Signing Authority This document of the Department of Energy was signed on December 9, 2021, by Kelly J. Speakes-Backman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, pursuant to delegated authority from the Secretary of Energy. That document with the original signature and date is maintained by DOE. For administrative purposes only, and in compliance with requirements of the Office of the Federal Register, the undersigned DOE Federal Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to sign and submit the document in electronic format for publication, as an official document of the Department of Energy. This E:\FR\FM\16DEP1.SGM 16DEP1 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 239 / Thursday, December 16, 2021 / Proposed Rules administrative process in no way alters the legal effect of this document upon publication in the Federal Register. [FR Doc. 2021–27136 Filed 12–15–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450–01–P Authority for This Rulemaking DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Part 71 [Docket No. FAA–2021–1106; Airspace Docket No. 19–AAL–70] RIN 2120–AA66 Proposed Amendment of United States Area Navigation (RNAV) Route T–266; Juneau, AK Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). AGENCY: This action proposes to amend United States Area Navigation (RNAV) route T–266 in the vicinity of Juneau, AK in support of a large and comprehensive T-route modernization project for the state of Alaska. DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 31, 2022. ADDRESSES: Send comments on this proposal to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC 20590; telephone: 1(800) 647–5527, or (202) 366–9826. You must identify FAA Docket No. FAA–2021–1106; Airspace Docket No. 19–AAL–70 at the beginning of your comments. You may also submit comments through the internet at https://www.regulations.gov. FAA Order JO 7400.11F, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, and subsequent amendments can be viewed online at https://www.faa.gov/air_ traffic/publications/. For further information, you can contact the Rules and Regulations Group, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267–8783. FAA Order JO 7400.11F is also available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of FAA Order JO 7400.11F at NARA, email: fr.inspection@nara.gov or go to khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with PROPOSALS SUMMARY: 16:30 Dec 15, 2021 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher McMullin, Rules and Regulations Group, Office of Policy, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267–8783 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Signed in Washington, DC, on December 10, 2021 Treena V. Garrett, Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy. VerDate Sep<11>2014 https://www.archives.gov/federalregister/cfr/ibr-locations.html. Jkt 256001 The FAA’s authority to issue rules regarding aviation safety is found in Title 49 of the United States Code. Subtitle I, Section 106 describes the authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII, Aviation Programs, describes in more detail the scope of the agency’s authority. This rulemaking is promulgated under the authority described in Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart I, Section 40103. Under that section, the FAA is charged with prescribing regulations to assign the use of the airspace necessary to ensure the safety of aircraft and the efficient use of airspace. This regulation is within the scope of that authority as it would expand the availability of RNAV in Alaska and improve the efficient flow of air traffic within the National Airspace System (NAS) by lessening the dependency on ground based navigation. Comments Invited Interested parties are invited to participate in this proposed rulemaking by submitting such written data, views, or arguments as they may desire. 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PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 71409 All communications received on or before the specified comment closing date will be considered before taking action on the proposed rule. The proposal contained in this action may be changed in light of comments received. All comments submitted will be available for examination in the public docket both before and after the comment closing date. A report summarizing each substantive public contact with FAA personnel concerned with this rulemaking will be filed in the docket. Availability of NPRM An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded through the internet at https://www.regulations.gov. Recently published rulemaking documents can also be accessed through the FAA’s web page at https:// www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/ airspace_amendments/. You may review the public docket containing the proposal, any comments received and any final disposition in person in the Dockets Office (see ‘‘ADDRESSES’’ section for address and phone number) between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. An informal docket may also be examined during normal business hours at the office of the Western Service Center, Operations Support Group, Federal Aviation Administration, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198. Availability and Summary of Documents for Incorporation by Reference This document proposes to amend FAA Order JO 7400.11F, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 10, 2021, and effective September 15, 2021. FAA Order JO 7400.11F is publicly available as listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document. FAA Order JO 7400.11F lists Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air traffic service routes, and reporting points. Background In 2003, Congress enacted the Vision 100-Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act (Pub. L. 108–176), which established a joint planning and development office in the FAA to manage the work related to the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). Today, NextGen is an ongoing FAA-led modernization of the nation’s air transportation system to make flying safer, more efficient, and more predictable. In support of NextGen, this proposal is part of a larger and comprehensive T- E:\FR\FM\16DEP1.SGM 16DEP1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 239 (Thursday, December 16, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 71406-71409]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-27136]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Part 430

[EERE-2021-BT-TP-0023]
RIN 1904-AF18


Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Cooking Products

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of 
Energy.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; extension of public comment 
period and notification of data availability (NODA).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is extending the public 
comment period for the notice of proposed rulemaking (``NOPR'') that 
DOE published on November 4, 2021 regarding a proposal for a new test 
procedure for conventional cooking tops, a category of cooking 
products, that would replace the procedure that DOE withdrew on August 
18, 2020. DOE is also publishing a NODA regarding the results of DOE's 
recently completed test program assessing the repeatability and 
reproducibility of the proposed test procedure. DOE is publishing the 
results of its testing and requests comment, data, and information 
regarding the results.

DATES: The comment period for the NOPR which published on November 4, 
2021 (86 FR 60974), is extended. DOE will accept comments, data, and 
information regarding the NOPR and NODA on or before January 18, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are encouraged to submit comments using 
the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments. Alternatively, interested persons 
may submit comments, identified by docket number EERE-2021-BT-TP-0023, 
by any of the following methods:
    1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    2. Email: [email protected]. Include the docket number 
EERE-2021-BT-TP-0023 in the subject line of the message.
    No telefacsimilies (``faxes'') will be accepted. For detailed 
instructions on submitting comments and additional information on this 
process, see section III of this document.
    Although DOE has routinely accepted public comment submissions 
through a variety of mechanisms, including postal mail and hand 
delivery/courier, the Department has found it necessary to make 
temporary modifications to the comment submission process in light of 
the ongoing coronavirus 2019 (``COVID-19'') pandemic. DOE is currently 
suspending receipt of public comments via postal mail and hand 
delivery/courier. If a commenter finds that this change poses an undue 
hardship, please contact Appliance Standards Program staff at (202) 
586-1445 to discuss the need for alternative arrangements. Once the 
COVID-19 pandemic health emergency is resolved, DOE anticipates 
resuming all of its regular options for public comment submission, 
including postal mail and hand delivery/courier.
    Docket: The docket for this activity, which includes Federal 
Register notices, public meeting attendee lists and transcripts (if a 
public meeting is held), comments, and other supporting documents/
materials, is available for review at www.regulations.gov. All 
documents in the docket are listed in the www.regulations.gov index. 
However, some documents listed in the index, such as those containing 
information that is exempt from public disclosure, may not be publicly 
available.
    The docket web page can be found at www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE-2021-BT-TP-0023. The docket web page contains instructions on how 
to access all documents, including public comments, in the docket. See 
section III for information on how to submit comments through 
www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Stephanie Johnson, U.S. Department 
of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building 
Technologies Office, EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 
20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 287-1943. Email: 
[email protected].
    Ms. Celia Sher, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General 
Counsel, GC-33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. 
Telephone: (202) 287-6122. Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

I. Background
II. Summary of Additional Testing Performed by DOE
III. Extension of the Comment Period

I. Background

    DOE originally established test procedures for cooking products in 
a final rule published in the Federal Register on May 10, 1978. 43 FR 
20108, 20120-20128. In the years following, DOE amended the test 
procedure for conventional cooking tops on several

[[Page 71407]]

occasions. Those amendments included the adoption of standby and off 
mode provisions in a final rule published on October 31, 2012. 77 FR 
65942.
    In a final rule published December 16, 2016 (``December 2016 Final 
Rule''), DOE amended 10 CFR part 430 to incorporate by reference, for 
use in the conventional cooking tops test procedure, the relevant 
sections of Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization Standard 
60350-2:2013, ``Household electric appliances--Part 2: Hobs--Method for 
measuring performance'' (``EN 60350-2:2013''), which uses a water-
heating test method to measure the energy consumption of electric 
cooking tops. 81 FR 91418. The December 2016 Final Rule also extended 
the water-heating test method specified in EN 60350-2:2013 to gas 
cooking tops. Id.
    On August 18, 2020, DOE published a final rule (``August 2020 Final 
Rule'') withdrawing the test procedure for conventional cooking tops. 
85 FR 50757. DOE initiated the rulemaking for the August 2020 Final 
Rule in response to a petition for rulemaking submitted by the 
Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (``AHAM''), in which AHAM 
asserted that the then-current test procedure for gas cooking tops was 
not representative, and, for both gas and electric cooking tops, had 
such a high level of variation that it did not produce accurate results 
for certification and enforcement purposes and did not assist consumers 
in making purchasing decisions based on energy efficiency (``AHAM 
petition''). 85 FR 50757, 50760; see also 80 FR 17944 (Apr. 25, 2018).
    DOE withdrew the test procedure for conventional cooking tops 
because testing conducted by DOE and outside parties using that test 
procedure yielded inconsistent results. 85 FR 50757, 50760. As 
described in the August 2020 Final Rule, DOE's test data for electric 
cooking tops showed only small variations (within tests conducted at a 
single laboratory) while lab-to-lab test results submitted by AHAM 
showed high levels of variation for gas and electric cooking tops, 
indicating that the test may not have been reproducible across labs. 
Id. at 85 FR 50763. DOE was not able to identify the cause of 
variation. Id. DOE determined that the inconsistency in test results 
indicated that the results were unreliable, and that it was unduly 
burdensome to retain the procedure and require cooking top tests be 
conducted using that test method without further study to resolve those 
inconsistencies. Id. at 85 FR 50760. In January 2020, DOE initiated a 
round robin test program to further investigate the water-heating 
approach and the issues raised in the AHAM petition.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ This testing was conducted according to the cooking top test 
procedure, as published in December 2016.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DOE published a NOPR on November 4, 2021 (``November 2021 NOPR'') 
in which it presented results from the initial round robin test program 
and proposed to reestablish a test procedure for conventional cooking 
tops. 86 FR 60974. The proposed test procedure would adopt the latest 
version of the relevant industry standard \2\ with modifications to 
adapt the test method to gas cooking tops, offer an optional method for 
burden reduction, normalize the energy use of each test cycle, include 
measurement of standby mode and off mode energy use, update certain 
test conditions, and provide certain clarifying language. Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ International Electrotechnical Commission (``IEC'') Standard 
60350-2 (Edition 2.0 2017-08), ``Household electric cooking 
appliances--Part 2: Hobs--Methods for measuring performance.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The results of the initial round robin testing initiated in January 
2020 were presented in Table III.1 and Table III.2 of the November 2021 
NOPR. 86 FR 60974, 60979-60980. The results of this testing showed 
repeatability and reproducibility coefficients of variation (``COVs'') 
under 2 percent for electric cooking tops tested at certified 
laboratories. Id. at 86 FR 60980. In the November 2021 NOPR, DOE also 
observed that for gas cooking tops, the repeatability COVs were of 0.3-
3.7 percent and the reproducibility COVs ranged from 4.0 to 8.9 
percent. Id.

II. Summary of Additional Testing Performed by DOE

    Following the August 2020 Final Rule, in May 2021, DOE initiated a 
second round robin test program in response to changes to electric 
cooking tops on the market and to evaluate potential variability in 
testing gas cooking tops. This NODA presents the results from the 
second round robin test program.
    For the second round robin test program, DOE conducted two 
replications of the test procedure according to the test procedure 
proposed in the November 2021 NOPR, using the same three certified test 
laboratories as were used in the initial round robin testing, and using 
four out of the five gas cooking tops that were used during the initial 
round robin testing.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ Due to time constraints, Unit #11 in the test sample was not 
tested at Laboratory B, but was instead tested at Laboratory E, a 
non-certified test laboratory which has experience testing electric 
cooking tops.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DOE included one electric-coil cooking top that meets the most 
recent version of the relevant industry safety standard in its second 
round robin. In response to AHAM's petition, Whirlpool submitted 
comments regarding the frequency of heating element cycling, stating 
that the introduction of a ``coil surface unit cooking oil ignition 
test'' to the 16th edition of the Underwriters Laboratory (``UL'') 
standard 858, ``Household Electric Ranges Standard for Safety'' (``UL 
858'') resulted in manufacturers making design changes to electric-coil 
cooking tops that increased cycling frequency over shorter durations in 
order to maintain a constant temperature. (Whirlpool, EERE-2018-BT-TP-
0004, No. 20 at pp. 2-3) \4\ The 16th edition of UL 858 published on 
November 7, 2014. On June 18, 2015, UL issued a revision to UL 858 that 
added a new performance requirement for electric-coil cooking tops 
intended to address unattended cooking, the ``Abnormal Operation--Coil 
Surface Unit Cooking Oil Ignition Test.'' This revision had an 
effective date of April 4, 2019. Because the electric-coil cooking top 
in DOE's initial round robin testing was purchased prior to that 
effective date, DOE could not be certain whether that test unit 
contained design features that would meet the performance 
specifications in the 2015 revision of UL 858. To address the lack of 
test data on electric-coil cooking tops that comply with the 2015 
revision of the UL 858 safety standard, DOE included one electric-coil 
cooking top meeting the 2015 revision of UL 858 in its second round 
robin (labeled as Unit #11 in the test data).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ The parenthetical reference provides a reference for 
information located in the docket of DOE's rulemaking regarding test 
procedures for conventional cooking tops. The references are 
arranged as follows: (Commenter name, comment docket ID number, page 
of that document). (Docket No. EERE-2018-BT-TP-0004, which is 
maintained at www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE-2018-BT-TP-0004).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    To address the reproducibility concerns with the prior gas cooking 
top test results, DOE tested four gas cooking tops. As discussed in the 
November 2021 NOPR, several of the proposed test procedure provisions 
were intended to specifically reduce the testing variability for gas 
cooking tops.
    The results from testing the electric cook tops and the gas cook 
tops are as follows. DOE observed that an electric-coil cooking top 
meeting the 2015 update of the UL 858 safety standard had repeatability 
COVs under 1 percent, and a reproducibility COV under 3 percent. DOE 
also observed that the repeatability COV for gas cooking tops

[[Page 71408]]

decreased to values under 2 percent (compared to a maximum of 3.7 
percent from the first round robin), and the reproducibility COV for 
gas cooking tops decreased to values largely under 4 percent, with a 
maximum of 5.3 percent (compared to a maximum of 8.9 percent from the 
first round robin).
    DOE notes that the average annual energy use as measured under the 
test procedure proposed in the November 2021 NOPR differs substantively 
from the average annual energy use measured for a given cooking top in 
the initial round robin, due primarily to the update in the number of 
annual cooking top cycles from 214.F5 cycles per year for gas cooking 
tops in the test procedure as published in December 2016 to 418 cycles 
per year as proposed in the November 2021 NOPR.\5\ 86 FR 60974, 60994.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ Other proposals in the November 2021 NOPR likely to impact 
annual energy use include the starting water temperature (15 degrees 
Celsius (``[deg]C'') in the procedure as published in December 2016, 
and 25 [deg]C in the proposed test procedure), the normalization of 
the per-cycle energy use to account for the final water temperature, 
and the update test vessel selection criteria.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As also discussed in the November 2021 NOPR, DOE proposed a target 
power density for the optional potential simmering setting pre-
selection test for gas cooking tops of 4.0 British thermal units per 
hour per square centimeter. Id. at 86 FR 60990. This proposal was based 
on the estimated power density for gas cooking top tests conducted as 
part of the initial round robin. As part of the second round robin 
testing on gas cooking tops, DOE has collected additional data on the 
measured power density of the minimum-above-threshold input setting and 
the maximum-below-threshold input setting for all four tested gas 
cooking tops, which may be compared to the proposed target power 
density.
    The test data are available in the docket for this proposed 
rulemaking at: www.regulations.gov/document/EERE-2021-BT-TP-0023-0004.

III. Extension of the Comment Period

    For the November 2021 NOPR, comments were originally due no later 
than January 3, 2022. In light of this NODA, DOE has determined that it 
is appropriate to extend the comment period to allow additional time 
for interested parties to prepare and submit comments. Therefore, DOE 
is extending the comment period and will accept comments, data, and 
information on the November 2021 NOPR and this NODA on and before 
January 18, 2022.
    Submitting comments via www.regulations.gov. The 
www.regulations.gov web page will require you to provide your name and 
contact information. Your contact information will be viewable to DOE 
Building Technologies staff only. Your contact information will not be 
publicly viewable except for your first and last names, organization 
name (if any), and submitter representative name (if any). If your 
comment is not processed properly because of technical difficulties, 
DOE will use this information to contact you. If DOE cannot read your 
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, DOE may not be able to consider your comment.
    However, your contact information will be publicly viewable if you 
include it in the comment or in any documents attached to your comment. 
Any information that you do not want to be publicly viewable should not 
be included in your comment, nor in any document attached to your 
comment. Persons viewing comments will see only first and last names, 
organization names, correspondence containing comments, and any 
documents submitted with the comments.
    Do not submit to www.regulations.gov information for which 
disclosure is restricted by statute, such as trade secrets and 
commercial or financial information (hereinafter referred to as 
Confidential Business Information (``CBI'')). Comments submitted 
through www.regulations.gov cannot be claimed as CBI. Comments received 
through the website will waive any CBI claims for the information 
submitted. For information on submitting CBI, see the Confidential 
Business Information section.
    DOE processes submissions made through www.regulations.gov before 
posting. Normally, comments will be posted within a few days of being 
submitted. However, if large volumes of comments are being processed 
simultaneously, your comment may not be viewable for up to several 
weeks. Please keep the comment tracking number that www.regulations.gov 
provides after you have successfully uploaded your comment.
    Submitting comments via email. Comments and documents submitted via 
email also will be posted to www.regulations.gov. If you do not want 
your personal contact information to be publicly viewable, do not 
include it in your comment or any accompanying documents. Instead, 
provide your contact information on a cover letter. Include your first 
and last names, email address, telephone number, and optional mailing 
address. The cover letter will not be publicly viewable as long as it 
does not include any comments.
    Include contact information each time you submit comments, data, 
documents, and other information to DOE. No faxes will be accepted.
    Comments, data, and other information submitted to DOE 
electronically should be provided in PDF (preferred), Microsoft Word or 
Excel, WordPerfect, or text (ASCII) file format. Provide documents that 
are not secured, written in English and free of any defects or viruses. 
Documents should not contain special characters or any form of 
encryption and, if possible, they should carry the electronic signature 
of the author.
    Campaign form letters. Please submit campaign form letters by the 
originating organization in batches of between 50 to 500 form letters 
per PDF or as one form letter with a list of supporters' names compiled 
into one or more PDFs. This reduces comment processing and posting 
time.
    Confidential Business Information. According to 10 CFR 1004.11, any 
person submitting information that he or she believes to be 
confidential and exempt by law from public disclosure should submit via 
email two well-marked copies: One copy of the document marked 
confidential including all the information believed to be confidential, 
and one copy of the document marked non-confidential with the 
information believed to be confidential deleted. DOE will make its own 
determination about the confidential status of the information and 
treat it according to its determination.
    It is DOE's policy that all comments may be included in the public 
docket, without change and as received, including any personal 
information provided in the comments (except information deemed to be 
exempt from public disclosure).

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on December 9, 
2021, by Kelly J. Speakes-Backman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary 
for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, pursuant to delegated 
authority from the Secretary of Energy. That document with the original 
signature and date is maintained by DOE. For administrative purposes 
only, and in compliance with requirements of the Office of the Federal 
Register, the undersigned DOE Federal Register Liaison Officer has been 
authorized to sign and submit the document in electronic format for 
publication, as an official document of the Department of Energy. This

[[Page 71409]]

administrative process in no way alters the legal effect of this 
document upon publication in the Federal Register.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on December 10, 2021
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2021-27136 Filed 12-15-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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