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

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is initiating this rulemaking and data collection process to consider new and amended energy conservation standards for products included in the definition of general service lamps (GSLs). To inform interested parties and to facilitate this process, DOE has prepared a Framework Document that details the analytical approach and preliminary scope of coverage for the rulemaking, and identifies several issues on which DOE is particularly interested in receiving comments. DOE will hold a public meeting to discuss and receive comments on its planned analytical approach and the issues it will address in this rulemaking proceeding. DOE welcomes written comments and relevant data from the public on any subject within the scope of this rulemaking. A copy of the Framework Document is available at: https://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ appliancestandards/product.aspx?productid=82.

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended, prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including commercial and industrial electric motors. EPCA also requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to determine whether more-stringent, amended standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified, and would save a significant amount of energy. In this notice, DOE proposes energy conservation standards for a number of different groups of electric motors that DOE has not previously regulated. For those groups of electric motors currently regulated, the proposed standards would maintain the current energy conservation standards for some electric motor types and amend the energy conservation standards for other electric motor types. The document also announces a public meeting to receive comment on these proposed standards and associated analyses and results.

In this Final Rule, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is amending the pro forma Small Generator Interconnection Procedures (SGIP) and pro forma Small Generator Interconnection Agreement (SGIA) to: Incorporate provisions that provide an Interconnection Customer with the option of requesting from the Transmission Provider a pre-application report providing existing information about system conditions at a possible Point of Interconnection; revise the 2 megawatt (MW) threshold for participation in the Fast Track Process included in section 2 of the pro forma SGIP; revise the customer options meeting and the supplemental review following failure of the Fast Track screens so that the supplemental review is performed at the discretion of the Interconnection Customer and includes minimum load and other screens to determine if a Small Generating Facility may be interconnected safely and reliably; revise the pro forma SGIP Facilities Study Agreement to allow the Interconnection Customer the opportunity to provide written comments to the Transmission Provider on the upgrades required for interconnection; revise the pro forma SGIP and the pro forma SGIA to specifically include energy storage devices; and clarify certain sections of the pro forma SGIP and the pro forma SGIA. The reforms should ensure interconnection time and costs for Interconnection Customers and Transmission Providers are just and reasonable and help remedy undue discrimination, while continuing to ensure safety and reliability.

The Department of Energy (DOE) invites the public to comment on the draft DOE 2014-2018 Strategic Plan. The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Modernization Act of 2010 requires that federal agencies revise and update their strategic plan at least every four years and, in doing so, solicit the views of interested members of the public during this process.

A 60-day notice and request for comments was published in the Federal Register on July 6, 2013 (78 FR 34089). No comments were received in response to this Notice. A 30-day notice and request for comments was published in the Federal Register on August 15, 2013 (78 FR 49736). No comments were received in response to this Notice. This subsequent 30-day notice represents a further reduction in the burden estimation to reflect the ongoing collection of information from only a more limited number of awardees; and allows public comment on the final version of the information collection request. The Department of Energy (DOE) invites public comment on a revision of a currently approved collection of information that DOE is developing for submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the revision of the currently approved 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 reduced burden pertaining to the approved collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to further enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information being collected; and (d) ways to further minimize the burden regarding the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Pursuant to section 215 of the Federal Power Act, the Commission approves the Version 5 Critical Infrastructure Protection Reliability Standards, CIP-002-5 through CIP-011-1, submitted by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), the Commission- certified Electric Reliability Organization. The CIP version 5 Standards address the cyber security of the bulk electric system and are an improvement over the current Commission-approved CIP Reliability Standards. The CIP version 5 Standards adopt new cyber security controls and extend the scope of the systems that are protected by the CIP Reliability Standards. The Commission also approves nineteen new or revised definitions associated with the CIP version 5 Standards for inclusion in the Glossary of Terms Used in NERC Reliability Standards. In addition, the Commission directs NERC to develop modifications to the CIP version 5 Standards and submit informational filings.

Through this notice, the Department of Energy announces the availability of application requirements to access the American Assured Fuel Supply.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice of the decision and order (Case No. CR-005) that grants Felix Storch, Inc. (FSI) a waiver from the DOE test procedures for determining the energy consumption of its commercial ice cream freezers for the basic models set forth in its petition for waiver (petition). FSI claims in its petition that the specified basic models cannot be tested in accordance with the DOE test procedure for commercial ice cream freezer equipment because the equipment cannot operate at the integrated average product temperature of -15 2 [deg]F, specified in DOE's test procedures. Under today's decision and order, FSI shall be required to test and rate the commercial ice cream freezers specified in the petition at the lowest integrated average temperature of -8 2 [deg]F, which DOE confirmed is the lowest temperature at which those models can operate and which is consistent with the lowest application product temperature provision in the DOE test procedures.