Department of Energy 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In this notice, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) plans to hold a technical conference on July 30, 2015, to discuss issues raised by the petition for rulemaking. The petition for rulemaking is requesting that the Commission issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) requiring changes to the FERC Form No. 6 (Annual Report of Oil Pipeline Companies), Page 700.

Pursuant to section 14(a)(2)(A) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), and in accordance with Title 41 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 102.3.65(a), and following consultation with the Committee Management Secretariat, General Services Administration, notice is hereby given that the Advanced Scientific Computing Advisory Committee will be renewed for a two-year period beginning on July 1, 2015. The Committee will provide advice to the Director, Office of Science (DOE), on the Advanced Scientific Computing Research Program managed by the Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research. Additionally, the renewal of the Advanced Scientific Computing Advisory Committee has been determined to be essential to the conduct of the Department of Energy business and to be in the public interest in connection with the performance of duties imposed upon the Department of Energy, by law and agreement. The Committee will operate in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, adhering to the rules and regulations in implementation of that Act.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) invites comments on its proposed five-year review of the index level used to determine annual changes to oil pipeline rate ceilings. The Commission proposes an index level between the Producer Price Index for Finished Goods (PPI-FG)+2.0 percent and PPI-FG+2.4 percent for the five-year period commencing July 1, 2016. The Commission invites interested persons to submit comments regarding this proposal and any alternative methodologies for calculating the index level.

As part of its implementation of Executive Order 13563, ``Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review,'' issued by the President on January 18, 2011, the Department of Energy (Department or DOE) is seeking comments and information from interested parties to assist DOE in reviewing its existing regulations to determine whether any such regulations should be modified, streamlined, expanded, or repealed. The purpose of DOE's review is to make the agency's regulatory program more effective and less burdensome in achieving its regulatory objectives. In this request for information, DOE also highlights its regulatory review and reform efforts conducted to date in light of comments from interested parties.

On May 8, 2015, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published in the Federal Register (80 FR 26475) a Request for Information (RFI) that requests information regarding potential energy efficiency standards for pool pumps established under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. DOE published the RFI to solicit information to help DOE determine the feasibility of developing energy conservation standards and an appropriate test procedure for this equipment. The RFI outlines the potential scope that could be involved in regulating dedicated-purpose pool pumps, possible industry-based testing methods that could be used to evaluate the efficiency of this equipment, and the types of information that would be needed in analyzing the potential for setting standards for this equipment. It also solicits the public for information to help inform DOE's efforts in evaluating the prospect of regulating this equipment. The comment period for the RFI pertaining to the subject dedicated-purpose pool pumps was scheduled to end June 22, 2015. After receiving a request for additional time to comment, DOE has decided to reopen the comment period for the RFI pertaining to the potential energy efficiency standards for pool pumps until August 17, 2015.

This document is being issued under the authority of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended. The Department is providing notice of a proposed subsequent arrangement under the Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Civil Uses of Nuclear Energy Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Canada and the Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy Between the United States of America and the European Atomic Energy Community.

This document is being issued under the authority of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended. The Department is providing notice of a proposed subsequent arrangement under the Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Argentine Republic Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy and the Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and Australia Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.