Department of Energy November 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Building Technologies Office (BTO) developed the Prioritization Tool to improve its programmatic decision-making. The tool provides an objective framework for most energy-saving measures and scenarios, as well as methodology, comparing long-term benefits and end-user costs applied to various markets, end-uses, and lifetimes. Currently, BTO seeks comments and information related to the Prioritization Tool that improves the tool's accuracy and applicability for technology planning within BTO. Specifically, this notice solicits comments and information on data, assumptions and outputs of various energy efficiency technologies and activities analyzed by the Prioritization Tool.

This notice announces a meeting of the Ultra-Deepwater Advisory Committee. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

This notice announces a meeting of the DOE/NSF Nuclear Science Advisory Committee (NSAC). The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of these meetings be announced in the Federal Register.

Western Area Power Administration (Western), an agency of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), intends to prepare a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) for the interconnection of NextEra Energy Resources' proposed Wilton IV Wind Energy Center Project (Project), Burleigh County, North Dakota. Western is issuing this Notice of Intent (NOI) to inform the public and interested parties about a change in the proposed Project and to invite the public to comment on the scope, proposed action, and other issues to be addressed in the SDEIS. Based on substantial changes to the proposed Project, Western has made the decision to prepare an SDEIS. These changes include the relocation of 30 planned turbine locations and 5 alternate turbine locations in Crofte Township, and moving them as far as 12 miles north-east to Rock Hill Township. Additionally, up to 20 miles of new overhead transmission line will be necessary to connect the Project collector substation to the existing Wilton/Baldwin substation. Portions of the proposed Project may affect floodplains and wetlands, so this NOI also serves as a notice of proposed floodplain or wetland action in accordance with DOE floodplain and wetland environmental review requirements.

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended, prescribes energy conservation standards for certain commercial and industrial equipment and various consumer products, including incandescent reflector lamps (IRLs). The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) received a petition from the National Electrical Manufacturers Association requesting the initiation of a rulemaking to exclude from coverage under EPCA standards a certain type of IRL marketed for use in pool and spa applications. Specifically, the lamp at issue is a 100-watt R20 short (having a maximum overall length of 3 and \5/8\ or 3.625 inches) IRL (``R20 short lamp''). DOE published this petition and a request for comment in the Federal Register on December 23, 2010. From its evaluation of the petition and careful consideration of the public comments, DOE decided to grant the petition for rulemaking. DOE published a request for information in the Federal Register on September 8, 2011, followed by a notice of proposed rulemaking published in the Federal Register on December 31, 2012. Based on data gathered by DOE and the comments it received on these notices, DOE excludes R20 short lamps from coverage under the EPCA energy conservation standards.

The Department of Energy (DOE) is informing the public of the availability of its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The purpose of the MOU is to strengthen migratory bird conservation through enhanced collaboration between DOE and the FWS, in coordination with state, tribal, and local governments. The MOU identifies specific areas in which cooperation between DOE and the FWS will substantially contribute to the conservation and management of migratory birds and their habitats.

This notice announces receipt of and publishes the Indesit Company (Indesit) petition for waiver from specified portions of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) test procedure for determining the energy consumption of residential clothes dryers. The waiver request pertains to Indesit's specified models of condensing residential clothes dryers. The existing test procedure does not apply to condensing clothes dryers. In addition, today's notice grants Indesit an interim waiver from the DOE test procedure applicable to residential clothes dryers. DOE solicits comments, data, and information concerning Indesit's petition.