Department of Energy June 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of the ``Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the New England Clean Power Link Transmission Line Project'' (DOE/EIS-0503) for public review and comment. DOE is also announcing two public hearings to receive comments on the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS evaluates the environmental impacts of DOE's proposed Federal action of issuing a Presidential permit to the Applicant: Champlain VT, LLC, doing business as TDI New England (``TDI-NE''), to construct, operate, maintain, and connect a new electric transmission line across the U.S./Canada border in northern Vermont.

This notice announces a meeting of the Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (BESAC). 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.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has determined that the 2015 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) would improve energy efficiency in buildings subject to the code compared to the 2012 edition. DOE analysis indicates that buildings meeting the 2015 IECC (as compared with buildings meeting the 2012 IECC) would result in national source energy savings of approximately 0.87 percent, site energy savings of approximately 0.98 percent, and energy cost savings of approximately 0.73 percent of residential building energy consumption, as regulated by the IECC. Upon publication of this affirmative determination, each State is required by statute to certify that it has reviewed the provisions of its residential building code regarding energy efficiency, and made a determination as to whether to update its code to meet or exceed the 2015 IECC. Additionally, this notice provides guidance to States on these processes and associated certifications.

On December 29, 2014, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) to clarify the test procedures for fluorescent lamp ballasts. That proposed rulemaking serves as the basis for the final rule. DOE is issuing a final rule to reorganize, reformat, correct, and clarify the scope of the energy conservation standards for fluorescent lamp ballasts. In addition, DOE is removing the outdated test procedure at Appendix Q and redesignating the current test procedure at Appendix Q1 as Appendix Q. DOE is also clarifying the test procedure setup at redesignated Appendix Q. Finally, DOE is revising the laboratory accreditation language and is providing clarification on the process for evaluating compliance with standards.