Department of Energy July 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 consumer water heaters. 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 consumer water heaters, and also announces a public meeting to receive comments on these proposed standards and associated analyses and results.

In this final rule, the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') is adding clarifying instructions to the dishwasher test procedure regarding the allowable dosing options for each type of detergent; clarifying the existing detergent reporting requirements; and adding an enforcement provision for dishwashers to specify the detergent and dosing method that DOE would use for any enforcement testing of dishwasher models certified in accordance with the currently applicable dishwasher test procedure prior to July 17, 2023 (i.e., the date by which the dishwasher test procedure as amended by a final rule published on January 18, 2023 will be mandatory for product testing).

The U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') is amending its test procedure for dehumidifiers to reference the current version of an applicable industry standard; change the rating test period to be two hours; permit the use of sampling trees in conjunction with an aspirating psychrometer or relative humidity sensor; and provide additional specification for testing dehumidifiers with network capabilities. This rulemaking fulfills DOE's obligation to review its test procedures for covered products at least once every seven years.

This notice announces an online virtual combined meeting of the Consent Order Subcommittee and Risk Evaluation and Management Subcommittee of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Northern New Mexico.

As part of its Provider of Choice effort, BPA is publishing a draft policy that describes the agency's long-term power sales marketing approach for the period following the expiration of existing long-term power sales contracts on September 30, 2028. The draft policy describes the agency's products and service offerings for this next contract period and how the agency proposes to distribute the costs and benefits from its system of federal resources, which includes the Federal Columbia River Power System, the Columbia Generating Station, as well as non-federal resources and short-term purchases of power power from the spot market. BPA expects to release the final policy and record of decision in early calendar year 2024, once all public comments have been reviewed. Following finalization of the policy, BPA will undertake a follow-on process to implement the policy through negotiation and development of contracts with the goal to offer and execute new long-term contracts by late 2025. Bonneville will use the time between contract signing and the start of power deliveries on October 1, 2028, to ready systems to ensure a smooth transition between contracts.

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