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

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has, for several years, used monetary values for the Social Cost of Carbon (SCC) to estimate the value to society of reducing carbon emissions that could result from rulemakings establishing energy conservation standards for residential appliances and industrial equipment. In recent standards rulemakings for microwave oven standby and off modes, metal halide lighting fixtures, commercial refrigeration equipment, walk-in coolers and freezers, and furnace fans, DOE used SCC values developed by an interagency group and released to the public in May 2013 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). OMB has issued updated SCC values that reflect minor technical corrections to the estimates that were released in May 2013. The purpose of this notice is to show the impact of these updated values on the national economic benefits projected to result from the proposed standards for commercial refrigeration equipment, walk-in coolers and freezers, metal halide lighting fixtures, and furnace fans.

The Department of Energy (DOE), pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995), intends to extend for three years, an information collection request (OMB Control Number 1910-1700) with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The proposed voluntary collection will request that an individual or an authorized designee provide pertinent information for easy record retrieval allowing for increased efficiencies and quicker processing. Pertinent information includes the requester's name, shipping address, phone number, email address, previous work location, the action requested and any identifying data that will help locate the records (e.g., maiden name, occupational license number, time and place of employment). Comments are invited on: (a) whether the extended collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and, (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western), a Federal power marketing agency of the Department of Energy (DOE), announces the Boulder Canyon Project (BCP) post-2017 resource pool marketing criteria and is calling for applications from entities interested in an allocation of Federal power from the BCP. The Conformed Power Marketing Criteria or Regulations for the Boulder Canyon Project (2012 Conformed Criteria) published in the Federal Register on June 14, 2012, as required by the Hoover Power Allocation Act of 2011, established general eligibility criteria and a resource pool (Post-2017 Resource Pool) to be allocated to new allottees. Western has finalized marketing criteria, developed through a public process, to be used to allocate the Post-2017 Resource Pool, which will become available October 1, 2017. These marketing criteria, in conjunction with the 2012 Conformed Criteria, establish the framework for allocating power from the Post- 2017 Resource Pool. Entities applying for an allocation of power from the Post-2017 Resource Pool must submit formal applications as described within this notice.

On October 25, 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) regarding energy conservation standards for residential furnace fans, with a comment period that was scheduled to close December 24, 2013. This document announces an extension of the time period for submitting comments on the NOPR. The comment period is extended 30 days.

Under section 215 of the Federal Power Act (FPA), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) approves a revised Reliability Standard, PRC-005-2Protection System Maintenance, to supersede four existing Reliability Standards, PRC-005-1.1b (Transmission and Generation Protection System Maintenance and Testing), PRC-008-0 (Underfrequency Load Shedding Equipment Maintenance), PRC-011-0 (Undervoltage Load Shedding Equipment Maintenance) and PRC-017-0 (Special Protection System Maintenance and Testing).

This notice announces an open meeting of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board (SEAB) FracFocus Task Force. SEAB was reestablished pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) (the Act). This notice is provided in accordance with the Act.

This notice announces a meeting of the Electricity Advisory Committee (EAC). 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.