Department of Energy 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') is undertaking an early assessment review to determine whether to proceed with a rulemaking to amend the test procedures for faucets and showerheads. Specifically, through this request for information (``RFI''), DOE seeks comment on the applicable consensus-based test procedures for measuring the water use of faucets and showerheads and whether such industry produces results that measure water use during a representative average use cycle or period of use for faucets and showerheads, and are not unduly burdensome to conduct. DOE welcomes written comments from the public on any subject within the scope of this document (including topics not raised in this RFI) as well as the submission of data and other relevant information concerning this early assessment review.

The U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') proposes to amend the test procedures for residential and commercial clothes washers to specify test conditions, instrument specifications, and test settings; address large clothes container capacities; add product-specific enforcement provisions; delete obsolete provisions; and consolidate all test cloth-related provisions and codify additional test cloth material verification procedures used by industry. DOE also proposes to create a new test procedure for residential and commercial clothes washers with additional modifications for certain test conditions, measurement of average cycle time, required test cycles, tested load sizes, semi- automatic clothes washer provisions, new performance metrics, and updated usage factors. The proposed new test procedure would be used for the evaluation and issuance of updated efficiency standards, as well as to determine compliance with the updated standards. As part of this proposal, DOE is announcing a webinar to collect comments and data on this proposal. DOE is seeking comment from interested parties on the proposal.

The formula rate for the Colorado River Storage Project Management Center (CRSP MC) of the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) to use under the WEIS Market (Provisional Formula Rate) has been confirmed, approved, and placed into effect on an interim basis. This formula rate, approved under the WAPA Administrator's authority to establish rates for short term sales, expires on September 30, 2021. No changes were made to this formula rate for short-term sales under Rate Schedule SP-NFJDT (joint dispatch transmission service). CRSP MC has converted its existing rate for short-term sales for use under the WEIS Market to a long-term formula rate.

The extension of the existing Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), Desert Southwest Region (DSW) formula rates for Network Integration Transmission Service (Network) on the Parker-Davis Project and Pacific Northwest-Pacific Southwest Intertie Project, along with formula rates for ancillary services, transmission losses, and unreserved use penalties applicable to Western Area Lower Colorado Balancing Authority (WALC), has been confirmed, approved, and placed into effect on an interim basis. The existing formula rates under Rate Schedules PD-NTS4 (Network), INT-NTS4 (Network), DSW-SD4 (Scheduling, System Control, and Dispatch), DSW-RS4 (Reactive Supply and Voltage Control), DSW-FR4 (Regulation and Frequency Response), DSW-EI4 (Energy Imbalance), DSW-SPR4 (Spinning Reserve), DSW-SUR4 (Supplemental Reserve), DSW-GI2 (Generator Imbalance), DSW-TL1 (Transmission Losses), and DSW-UU1 (Unreserved Use Penalties) are set to expire on September 30, 2021. This rate extension makes no changes to the existing formula rates and extends them through September 30, 2026.

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

This notice announces an in-person/virtual hybrid meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Northern New Mexico. The Federal Advisory Committee Act requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

On January 15, 2021, the Department of Energy (DOE or Department) published a final interpretive rule in the Federal Register determining that, in the context of residential furnaces, commercial water heaters, and similarly-situated products or equipment, use of non-condensing technology (and associated venting) constitutes a performance-related ``feature'' under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended (EPCA), that cannot be eliminated through adoption of an energy conservation standard. DOE deems it prudent to revisit its interpretation. For the reasons stated in this document, the Department proposes to return to its previous and long-standing interpretation (in effect prior to the January 15, 2021 final interpretive rule), under which the technology used to supply heated air or hot water is not a performance-related ``feature'' that provides a distinct consumer utility under EPCA. DOE requests comment on its proposed interpretation. Once DOE has arrived at a final interpretation, the Department plans to again evaluate whether amended energy conservation standards would result in significant savings of energy, be technologically feasible, and be economically justified, consistent with its interpretation.