Department of Energy February 27, 2023 – 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 refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers. EPCA also requires the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'' or ``the Department'') to periodically determine whether more stringent standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified, and would result in significant energy savings. In this notice of proposed rulemaking (``NOPR''), DOE proposes amended energy conservation standards for refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers, and also announces a public meeting to receive comment on these proposed standards and associated analyses and results.

On December 21, 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published in the Federal Register a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking and announcement of a public webinar regarding revised energy performance standards for the construction of new Federal buildings and Federal buildings undergoing major renovations. DOE has received multiple requests to extend the public comment period, has reviewed these requests, and is reopening the public comment period to allow comments to be submitted until March 23, 2023.