Department of Energy April 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces an online virtual meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Oak Ridge. The Federal Advisory Committee Act requires that public notice of this online meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

The U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'' or the ``Department'') proposes to revise the Department's ``Procedures, Interpretations, and Policies for Consideration of New or Revised Energy Conservation Standards and Test Procedures for Consumer Products and Certain Commercial/Industrial Equipment'' (``Process Rule''), revising the process the Department follows to develop energy conservation standards and test procedures for covered products and equipment. The proposed revisions are consistent with longstanding DOE practice and would remove unnecessary obstacles to DOE's ability to meet its statutory obligations under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (``EPCA'').

On March 25, 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE or the Department) published in the Federal Register an early assessment request for information (RFI) pertaining to the potential amendment of energy conservation standards for consumer boilers. The early assessment RFI provided an opportunity for submission of written comments, data, and information to the Department by April 26, 2021. Prior to the end of the comment period for the RFI, DOE received requests from the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), as well as from the American Public Gas Association (APGA), seeking additional time to consider the issues raised in the early assessment RFI. In light of these requests, DOE is announcing its decision to extend the comment period on the subject RFI for an additional 30 days.

This notice corrects the 60-day notice published on April 30, 2020 (85 FR 23954), 30-day notice published on July 20, 2020 (85 FR 43831), and the errata notice published on September 14, 2020 (85 FR 56597).

This notification announces receipt of and publishes a petition for waiver and interim waiver from GD Midea Air Conditioning Equipment Co. LTD (``Midea''), which seeks a waiver for specified portable air conditioner basic models from the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') test procedure used for determining the efficiency of portable air conditioners. DOE also gives notice of an Interim Waiver Order that requires Midea to test and rate the specified portable air conditioner basic models in accordance with the alternate test procedure set forth in the Interim Waiver Order. DOE solicits comments, data, and information concerning Midea's petition and its suggested alternate test procedure to inform DOE's final decision on Midea's waiver request.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) proposes to collect additional data from certain market-based rate (MBR) sellers with ultimate upstream affiliates that have been granted blanket authorization. The Commission proposes revisions to the data dictionary that accompanies the relational database established in Order No. 860 to include new requirements for those MBR sellers to report connections to an entity whose securities were acquired pursuant to the blanket authorization. In addition, the Commission plans to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for this collection of information.