Department of Energy December 30, 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has reviewed the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and determined the updated edition would improve energy efficiency in residential buildings. DOE analysis indicates that buildings meeting the 2024 IECC, as compared with buildings meeting the 2021 IECC, would result in national site energy savings of 7.80 percent, source energy savings of 6.80 percent, and energy cost savings of approximately 6.60 percent of residential building energy consumption. Under the Energy Conservation and Production Act, as amended (ECPA), upon publication of an affirmative determination, each State must review the energy efficiency provisions of its residential building code and determine whether it is appropriate for such state to revise its building code to meet or exceed the 2024 IECC. Additionally, this notification provides guidance on state code review processes and associated certifications.

The Upper Great Plains (UGP) region of the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) proposes new formula rates for the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin ProgramEastern Division (P-SMBPED) transmission and ancillary services for UGP's costs to be recovered under the Southwest Power Pool's (SPP) Open Access Transmission Tariff (Tariff) should UGP decide to expand its participation in SPP in the Western Interconnection. These rates will be used by UGP to provide rate data to SPP, the Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) of which UGP is a member, after SPP's planned expansion of the RTO into the Western Interconnection on April 1, 2026. The existing UGP rates for services expire on September 30, 2025, but are being extended under a separate rate process, Rate Order No, WAPA-217, to continue to provide existing rate data to SPP between October 1, 2025, and final implementation date of the planned RTO expansion into the Western Interconnection. The proposed rates will address UGP operating changes and new provisions and settlement requirements under the proposed revisions to SPP's Tariff filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to accommodate their RTO expansion into the Western Interconnection. The proposed formula rates will become effective on the go-live date of the expansion of the SPP RTO into the Western Interconnection (scheduled for April 1, 2026, as of the date of this notice) and will remain in effect for five years from the effective date, which with an effective date of April 1, 2026, will be March 31, 2031, or until superseded.