Department of Energy March 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Energy (DOE) announces in this notice the release of the H2 Refuel H-Prize Draft Guidelines for public comment, pursuant to Section 654 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, Public Law 110-140 (December 19, 2007). Interested persons are encouraged to learn about the H2 Refuel H-Prize guidelines at: https:// www.hydrogen.energy.gov/hprize.html.

Emera Energy Services Subsidiary No. 7 LLC (EESS-7) has applied for authority to transmit electric energy from the United States to Canada pursuant to section 202(e) of the Federal Power Act (FPA).

The Commission proposes, as a statement of policy, that section 305(a) of the Federal Power Act (FPA) should be interpreted as not prohibiting the payment of dividends from funds included in capital accounts by any public utility that has a market-based rate tariff on file with the Commission, does not have captive customers, and does not provide transmission or local distribution services. Because the payment of dividends from funds included in capital accounts by such public utilities does not appear to implicate the concerns underlying the enactment of FPA section 305(a), the Commission proposes this policy in order to eliminate a regulatory burden otherwise applicable under FPA section 305(a) to such public utilities.

This notice announces a combined meeting of the Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Committee and Waste Management Committee of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Northern New Mexico (known locally as the Northern New Mexico Citizens' Advisory Board [NNMCAB]). 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.

The Department of Energy (DOE) invites public comment on an extension 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. The Department of Energy (DOE) has submitted an information collection request to the OMB for extension under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The information collection requests a three-year extension of its Weatherization Assistance Program, OMB Control Number 1910-5157. The proposed collection will collect information on the status of grantee activities, expenditures, and results, to ensure that program funds are being used appropriately, effectively and expeditiously. A sixty day Notice and Request for Comments was published on January 6, 2014 at 79 FR 649. No comments were received to that notice. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether 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 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.

This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Portsmouth. 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.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building Energy Codes Program has made available guidance on how it intends to respond to requests for modified versions of energy code compliance software.

This document announces a new date for the March 3, 2014, public meeting that was postponed due to inclement weather, and an extension of the time period for submitting comments concerning the February 5, 2014, Framework Document about whether to establish energy conservation standards for commercial and industrial air compressors. The public meeting has been rescheduled for April 1, 2014. The comment period is extended to April 22, 2014.

This notice announces receipt of a petition for waiver from Felix Storch, Inc. (FSI) seeking an exemption from specified portions of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) test procedure for determining the energy consumption of certain electric refrigerators and refrigerator-freezers. FSI asks that it be permitted to use an alternate test procedure to account for the energy consumption of its specific models of its Keg Beer Coolers, Assisted Living Refrigerator-freezers and Ultra-Compact Hotel Refrigerators in place of the currently applicable DOE test procedure. DOE solicits comments, data, and information concerning FSI's petition and the suggested alternate test procedure. Today's notice also declines to grant FSI with an interim waiver from the electric refrigerator- freezers test procedure, for the reasons described in this notice. The waiver request pertains to the basic models set forth in FSI's petition.

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 automatic commercial ice makers (ACIM). 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 amended energy conservation standards for automatic commercial ice makers. The notice of proposed rulemaking also announces a public meeting to receive comment on these proposed standards and associated analyses and results.