Department of Energy February 14, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 USC 3506(c)(2)(A), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is soliciting public comment on the currently approved information collections, FERC-65, FERC-65A, and FERC-65B (Notification of Holding Company Status, Exemption Notification of Holding Company Status, and Waiver Notification of Holding Company Status).

This notice announces receipt of and publishes the GE Appliances (GE) petition for waiver (hereafter, ``petition'') from specified portions of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) test procedure for determining the energy consumption of certain specific electric refrigerators and refrigerator-freezers. In its petition, GE provides an alternate test procedure and DOE solicits comments, data, and information concerning GE's petition and the suggested alternate test procedure. Today's notice also grants GE an interim waiver from the electric refrigerator and refrigerator-freezer test procedure, subject to use of the alternative test procedure set forth in this notice.

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and commercial and industrial equipment. Microwave ovens are covered products under EPCA, although there are no existing microwave oven standards. EPCA requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to determine whether amended, more stringent, standards are technologically feasible and economically justified, and would save a significant amount of energy. Additionally, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) amended EPCA to require any final rule adopted after July 1, 2010 establishing or revising energy conservation standards for covered products, including microwave ovens, to address standby mode and off mode energy use. On October 17, 2008, DOE issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) in which DOE proposed amendments to the energy conservation standards for several residential and commercial products, including microwave ovens. In response to the NOPR, DOE received comment expressing concern and encouraging the Department to re-examine standby mode and off mode of microwave ovens as a part of DOE's rulemaking analyses. Additionally, DOE received comment alleging certain data problems affecting DOE's rulemaking analyses. DOE's preliminary assessment suggested that the concerns might be valid, thereby necessitating additional, supplemental rulemaking analyses. In this notice, DOE responds to the comments received on the NOPR and proposes amended energy conservation standards for microwave oven standby mode and off mode. The notice also announces a public meeting to receive comment on these proposed standards and associated analyses and results.