Department of Energy May 30, 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is initiating a data collection process through this request for information to consider whether to amend DOE's test procedure for metal halide lamp fixtures (MHLFs). To inform interested parties and to facilitate this process, DOE has gathered data and identified several issues associated with the currently applicable test procedure on which DOE is interested in receiving comment. The issues outlined in this document mainly concern updates to industry standards and potential clarifications to the existing test procedure for MHLFs. DOE welcomes written comments from the public on any subject within the scope of this document, including topics not directly outlined in this RFI. DOE also welcomes comments on any additional topics that may inform DOE's decisions in a potential future test procedure rulemaking, such as methods to reduce regulatory burden while ensuring the procedure's accuracy.

This notice announces receipt of and publishes a petition for waiver from AeroSys seeking an exemption from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) test procedure for determining the efficiency of central air conditioners and heat pumps. AeroSys seeks to use an alternate test procedure to address issues involved in testing certain basic models identified in its petition. According to AeroSys, testing the basic models of space constrained central air conditioners and heat pump units listed in its petition exclusively with coil-only indoor units (as required by the DOE test procedure), rather than with blower-coil indoor units (as they are distributed in commerce), will overstate their energy usage. Energy usage of coil-only tests for these models will be overstated because the default value for wattage required by the DOE coil-only test method exceeds the actual wattage of the high-efficiency motors used in the blower-coil indoor units with which the AeroSys models listed in its petition are paired in the field. AeroSys seeks to use an alternate test procedure to test and rate their basic models listed in its petition. AeroSys proposes to waive the DOE test procedure requirement to test these basic models with coil-only indoor units and instead, test with blower-coil indoor units in accordance with 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix M, as applicable. This notice also announces that DOE grants AeroSys an interim waiver from the DOE central air conditioners and heat pumps test procedure for its specified basic models, subject to use of the alternative test procedure as set forth in the Order. DOE solicits comments, data, and information concerning AeroSys' petition and its suggested alternate test procedure.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) in this order on clarification and rehearing grants in part Edison Electric Institute's request for clarification or, in the alternative, rehearing of Order No. 833, and denies rehearing of that order, which amends the Commission's regulations to implement provisions of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act pertaining to the designation, protection, and sharing of Critical Energy/Electric Infrastructure Information.

In this order, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) extends the comment due date for the Notice of Inquiry (NOI) published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, April 25, 2018. The NOI is seeking information and stakeholder perspectives to help the Commission explore whether, and if so how, it should revise its approach under its currently effective policy statement on the certification of new natural gas transportation facilities to determine whether a proposed natural gas project is or will be required by the present or future public convenience and necessity, as that standard is established in section 7 of the Natural Gas Act.

In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is submitting its information collection [FERC-716, Good Faith Requests for Transmission Service and Good Faith Responses by Transmitting Utilities Under Sections 211(a) and 213(a) of the Federal Power Act (FPA)] to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review of the information collection requirements. Any interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below. The Commission previously published a Notice in the Federal Register on 2/7/2018 requesting public comments. The Commission received no comments on the FERC-716 and is making this notation in its submittal to OMB.