Rural Housing Service – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The departments and agencies listed in this document propose revisions to modernize, strengthen, and make more effective the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects that was promulgated as a Common Rule in 1991. This NPRM seeks comment on proposals to better protect human subjects involved in research, while facilitating valuable research and reducing burden, delay, and ambiguity for investigators. This proposed rule is an effort to modernize, simplify, and enhance the current system of oversight. The participating departments and agencies propose these revisions to the human subjects regulations because they believe these changes would strengthen protections for research subjects while facilitating important research.

The Deputy Secretary of Energy confirmed and approved Rate Order No. WAPA-169 and Rate Schedule SLIP-F10. Through this notice, the Western Area Power Administration (Western) places firm power rates for Western's Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects (SLCA/IP) into effect on an interim basis. The Deputy Secretary also confirmed Rate Schedules SP-PTP8, SP-NW4, SP-NFT7, SP-SD4, SP-RS4, SP-EI4, SP-FR4, SP-SSR4, and SP-UU1. Through this notice, Western places firm and non-firm transmission and ancillary services formula rates on the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) transmission system into effect on an interim basis. The provisional rates will be in effect until the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) confirms, approves, and places these into effect on a final basis or until these are replaced by other rates. The provisional rates will provide sufficient revenue to pay all annual costs, including interest expense, and repay required investments and irrigation aid within the allowable periods.

This notice announces a meeting of the High Energy Physics Advisory Panel (HEPAP). The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92- 463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of these meetings be announced in the Federal Register.

On October 28, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced in the Federal Register the $1 million H2 Refuel H-Prize competition, allowing teams from across the United States to compete to develop systems that generate and dispense hydrogen from resources commonly available to residences (electricity or natural gas) for use in homes, community centers, businesses or similar locations, to supplement the current infrastructure roll-out and reduce barriers to using hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. The Federal Register notice announcing the competition included the H2 Refuel H-Prize Competition Guidelines. The purpose of today's notice is to update the H2 Refuel H-Prize Competition Guidelines. Substantive changes in this update provide additional information on communication expectations for finalists, expand the process used to resolve ties, correct a typographical error in the dispensing time criteria table, define how availability will be calculated, and provide a method to determine a winner in the event that no entry receives at least a minimum score of one for each of the scoring criteria (not including bonus criteria). In addition, language is added for clarification where necessary. The section on the draft guideline public comments and responses is deleted. Finally, minor errors are corrected and contact information is updated.

This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Savannah River Site. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

On August 6, 2015, the U.S. Department of Energy proposed to reaffirm that the currently prescribed test procedure must be used when measuring the energy efficiency ratio, integrated energy efficiency ratio, and coefficient of performance for small, large, and very large air-cooled commercial unitary air conditioners (CUAC) and commercial unitary heat pumps (CUHP). DOE noted that it would hold a public meeting to discuss the proposal at the request of interested parties. DOE has since received such a request and is holding a public meeting on September 4, 2015.

In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is submitting its information collection FERC-915 (Public Utility Market-Based Rate Authorization HoldersRecords Retention Requirements) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review of the information collection requirements. Any interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below. The Commission previously issued a Notice in the Federal Register (80 FR 28264, 5/18/2015) requesting public comments. The Commission received no comments on the FERC-915 and is making this notation in its submittal to OMB.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has completed a provisional analysis of the potential economic impacts and energy savings that could result from promulgating amended energy conservation standards for central air conditioners and heat pumps. At this time, DOE is not proposing any energy conservation standards for central air conditioners and heat pumps. Instead, this analysis will be used in support of the Appliance Standards Federal Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ASRAC) central air conditioners and heat pumps working group, which has been established to negotiate potential proposed amended energy conservation standards for central air conditioners and heat pumps standards and to discuss certain aspects of the proposed Federal test procedure. The analysis for this NODA is available at: https://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/ rulemaking.aspx?ruleid=104. DOE encourages stakeholders to provide any additional data or information that may improve the analysis during the course of the working group meetings.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces public hearings to receive comments on the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS evaluates the environmental impacts of DOE's proposed Federal action of issuing a Presidential permit to the Applicant: Northern Pass LLC, to construct, operate, maintain, and connect a new electric transmission line across the U.S./Canada border in northern New Hampshire.