Department of Energy March 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended (EPCA), prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including small, large, and very large commercial package air conditioning and heating equipment, of which computer room air conditioners (CRACs) are a category. EPCA requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE or the Department) to consider the need for amended standards each time the relevant industry standard is amended with respect to the standard levels or design requirements applicable to that equipment, or periodically under a six-year-lookback review provision. In this document, DOE is proposing amended energy conservation standards for CRACs that rely on a new efficiency metric and are equivalent to those levels specified in the industry standard. DOE has preliminarily determined that it lacks the clear and convincing evidence required by the statute to adopt standards more stringent than the levels specified in the industry standard. This document also announces a public meeting webinar to receive comment on these proposed standards and associated analyses and results.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is issuing this Amended Record of Decision (AROD) to amend its previous AROD for the long-term management and storage of elemental mercury published in the Federal Register on October 6, 2020. This AROD withdraws the decision to store at Waste Control Specialists (WCS) certain elemental mercury to which DOE accepts the conveyance of title pursuant to a legal settlement or proceeding.

In this notice, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is forecasting the representative average unit costs of five residential energy sources for the year 2022 pursuant to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (Act). The five sources are electricity, natural gas, No. 2 heating oil, propane, and kerosene.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has submitted an information collection request to the OMB for extension under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The information collection requests a three-year extension of the Applications for Loans Under the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program, OMB Control Number 1910-5137.

EIA invites public comment on the proposed three year extension, with changes, to Form EIA-846 Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey Report as required under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The report is part of EIA's comprehensive energy data program. Form EIA-846 Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey Report (Quadrennial) collects information on energy consumption, expenditures, and building characteristics from establishments in the manufacturing sector.

The U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') will hold a webinar to discuss and receive comments on the preliminary analysis it has conducted for purposes of evaluating energy conservation standards for battery chargers. The meeting will cover the analytical framework, models, and tools that DOE is using to evaluate potential standards for this product; the results of preliminary analyses performed by DOE for this product; the potential energy conservation standard levels derived from these analyses that DOE could consider for this product should it determine that proposed amendments are necessary; and any other issues relevant to the evaluation of energy conservation standards for battery chargers. In addition, DOE encourages written comments on these subjects. To inform interested parties and to facilitate this process, DOE has prepared an agenda, a preliminary technical support document (``TSD''), and briefing materials, which are available on the DOE website at: www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/ standards.aspx?productid=26&action=viewlive.

The U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'' or ``the Department'') will hold a webinar to discuss and receive comments on the preliminary analysis it has conducted for purposes of evaluating energy conservation standards for electric motors. The meeting will cover the analytical framework, models, and tools used to evaluate potential standards for this equipment; the results of preliminary analyses performed for this equipment; the potential energy conservation standard levels derived from these analyses that may be considered for this equipment should proposed amendments be determined necessary; and any other issues relevant to the evaluation of energy conservation standards for electric motors. Written comments on these subjects from the public are encouraged.