Department of Energy January 6, 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On December 18, 2015, Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), an agency of the Department of Energy (DOE), announced the Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/ Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the proposed 500-kilovolt (kV) transmission line. This proposed Project is known as the Colusa- Sutter (CoSu) 500-kV Transmission Line Project. In that previous notice, WAPA described the schedule for scoping meetings and advised the public that comments on the scope of the EIS/EIR were due by February 16, 2016. On February 5, 2016, an additional notice was published extending the due date for comments on the scope of the EIS/ EIR to April 18, 2016. By this notice, WAPA announces additional public scoping meetings and reopens the period for submitting comments on the scope of the EIS/EIR.

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended, prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products, including consumer central air conditioners and heat pumps. EPCA also requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to periodically determine whether more-stringent, amended standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified, and would save a significant amount of energy. In this proposed rule, DOE proposes to amend the energy conservation standards for consumer central air conditioners and heat pumps identical to those set forth in a direct final rule published elsewhere in this Federal Register. If DOE receives an adverse comment and determines that such comment may provide a reasonable basis for withdrawing the direct final rule, DOE will publish a notice withdrawing the direct final rule and will proceed with this proposed rule.