Rule2022-27877
Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Residential and Commercial Clothes Washers; Correction
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
December 23, 2022
Effective
December 23, 2022
Issuing agencies
Energy Department
Abstract
On June 1, 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE" or "the Department") published a final rule amending DOE's clothes washer test procedures. This document corrects formatting and typographical errors and omissions in the regulatory text of that final rule. Neither the errors and omissions nor the corrections in this document affect the substance of the rulemaking or any conclusions reached in support of the final rule.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 246 (Friday, December 23, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 246 (Friday, December 23, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 78819-78821]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-27877]
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Rules and Regulations
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents
having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed
to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published
under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.
The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 246 / Friday, December 23, 2022 /
Rules and Regulations
[[Page 78819]]
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
10 CFR Part 430
[EERE-2016-BT-TP-0011]
RIN 1904-AD95
Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Residential and
Commercial Clothes Washers; Correction
AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Correcting amendments.
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SUMMARY: On June 1, 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'' or
``the Department'') published a final rule amending DOE's clothes
washer test procedures. This document corrects formatting and
typographical errors and omissions in the regulatory text of that final
rule. Neither the errors and omissions nor the corrections in this
document affect the substance of the rulemaking or any conclusions
reached in support of the final rule.
DATES: Effective December 23, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dr. Carl Shapiro, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Office, EE-5B,
1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone:
(202) 287-5649. Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#aceddcdcc0c5cdc2cfc9ffd8cdc2c8cddec8dffdd9c9dfd8c5c3c2dfecc9c982c8c3c982cbc3da"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="78390808141119161b1d2b0c19161c190a1c0b290d1d0b0c1117160b381d1d561c171d561f170e">[email protected]</span></a>.
Ms. Melanie Lampton, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the
General Counsel, GC-33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC
20585-0121. Telephone: (240) 751-5157. Email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#531e363f323d3a367d1f323e23273c3d133b227d373c367d343c25"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cf82aaa3aea1a6aae183aea2bfbba0a18fa7bee1aba0aae1a8a0b9">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
On June 1, 2022, DOE published a final rule amending DOE's clothes
washer test procedures (``June 2022 Final Rule''). 87 FR 33316. The
June 2022 Final Rule amended provisions in DOE's test procedure
prescribed at title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (``CFR'')
part 430, subpart B, appendix J2 (``appendix J2''); established a new
test procedure at 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix J (``appendix
J''); and amended provisions in DOE's test method for measuring the
moisture absorption and retention characteristics of new lots of energy
test cloth, which is used in testing clothes washers, at 10 CFR part
430, subpart B, appendix J3 (``appendix J3''). DOE is issuing this rule
to correct certain technical errors and omissions in the June 2022
Final Rule, specifically appendices J, J2, and J3 of 10 CFR part 430,
and to assist regulated entities with compliance efforts.
II. Discussion
As established in the June 2022 Final Rule, section 4 of appendix J
defines the four energy components (HE<INF>T</INF>, ME<INF>T</INF>,
DE<INF>T</INF>, and E<INF>TLP</INF>) \1\ comprising the energy
efficiency metric. For clothes washers with multiple water fill control
systems, each of these four components yields a different result for
each type of water fill control system and therefore must be calculated
separately for each control type and then averaged, with the average
value used for the final calculations in section 4, as directed by
section 3.2.3.5 of appendix J. Specifically, section 3.2.3.5 of
appendix J specifies that if a clothes washer allows user selection
among multiple water fill control systems, all water fill control
systems must be tested and, for each one, each energy consumption and
water consumption value as set forth in section 4 of appendix J must be
calculated and averaged across the water fill control systems. The
average value is then used in the final calculations in section 4 of
appendix J. But, in the June 2022 Final Rule, the Department
inadvertently omitted E<INF>TLP</INF> from the list of variables used
to calculate energy consumption in section 3.2.3.5 of appendix J. DOE
is correcting that omission by adding E<INF>TLP</INF> to the
parenthetical list of energy consumption parameters in section 3.2.3.5
of appendix J.
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\1\ HE<INF>T</INF> is the total weighted per-cycle hot water
energy consumption, ME<INF>T</INF> is the total weighted per-cycle
machine electrical energy consumption, DE<INF>T</INF> is the per-
cycle energy consumption for removal of moisture content from test
load, and E<INF>TLP</INF> is the per-cycle combined low-power mode.
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In the June 2022 Final Rule, DOE made a typographical error in
section 3.3 of appendix J, stating that testing is to be performed ``on
each wash/rinse temperature selection available in the energy test
cycle was [sic] defined in section 2.12.1 of this appendix.'' 87 FR
33390. In this document, DOE corrects the word ``was'' to ``as'' in
section 3.3 of appendix J.
In the June 2022 Final Rule, DOE expanded Table 5.1 of appendix J2;
however, the expanded table did not re-print with the two established
notes \2\ at the end of the table. 87 FR 33402-33403. These two notes
have been incorporated in Table 5.1 since the table's inclusion in
appendix J2. Additionally, DOE did not propose their removal during the
rulemaking process. The regulatory instruction provided for this
amendment in the June 2022 Final Rule resulted in the inadvertent
removal of the notes from Table 5.1 of appendix J2. This document
corrects the omission by adding the two notes at end of the revised
table.
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\2\ Two notes indicate that (1) all test load weights are bone-
dry weights; and (2) allowable tolerance on the test load weights is
<plus-minus>0.10 lbs (0.05 kg).
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In the regulatory text of the June 2022 Final Rule, the title and
the column headings of new Table 8.7 of appendix J3 were mis-printed.
The title of Table 8.7 inadvertently included an extra line break
before the variable name provided in parentheses, i.e.,
``(RMC<INF>standard</INF>).'' To simplify the table heading, DOE is
removing the variable name in parentheses in the title of Table 8.7.
Additionally, the column headers for Table 8.7 list the water soak
temperature and the spin times used to develop the values presented in
the table. In the regulatory text of the June 2022 Final Rule, the spin
time column headers were listed in the wrong order. 87 FR 33405. This
document corrects the order of the headings in Table 8.7 of appendix
J3.
Because this final rule simply corrects errors and omissions in the
text without making substantive changes, the changes addressed in this
document are technical in nature.
III. Procedural Issues and Regulatory Review
DOE has concluded that the determinations made pursuant to the
[[Page 78820]]
various procedural requirements applicable to the June 2022 Final Rule
remain unchanged for this final rule's technical corrections. These
determinations are set forth in the June 2022 Final Rule and are
adopted here. 87 FR 33316, 33375-33379.
Pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 553(b), DOE
finds that there is good cause to not issue a separate notice to
solicit public comment on those technical corrections contained in this
document. Issuing a separate notice to solicit public comment would be
impracticable, unnecessary, and contrary to the public interest. As
explained above, the corrections in this document do not affect the
substance of the June 2022 Final Rule or any of the conclusions reached
in support of the final rule. Additionally, given the final rule is a
product of an extensive administrative record with numerous
opportunities for public comment, DOE finds additional comment on the
technical corrections is unnecessary. Therefore, providing prior notice
and an opportunity for public comment on correcting objective,
typographical errors and omissions that do not change the substance of
the test procedure serves no useful purpose.
Further, this rule correcting typographical errors and omissions
makes non-substantive changes to the test procedure in the June 2022
Final Rule. As such, this final rule is not subject to the 30-day delay
in effective date requirement of 5 U.S.C. 553(d) otherwise applicable
to rules that make substantive changes.
List of Subjects in 10 CFR Part 430
Administrative practice and procedure, Confidential business
information, Energy conservation, Household appliances, Imports,
Intergovernmental relations, Small businesses.
Signing Authority
This document of the Department of Energy was signed on December
16, 2022, by Francisco Alejandro Moreno, Acting Assistant Secretary for
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy,
pursuant to delegated authority from the Secretary of Energy. That
document with the original signature and date is maintained by DOE. For
administrative purposes only, and in compliance with requirements of
the Office of the Federal Register, the undersigned DOE Federal
Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to sign and submit the
document in electronic format for publication, as an official document
of the Department of Energy. This administrative process in no way
alters the legal effect of this document upon publication in the
Federal Register.
Signed in Washington, DC, on December 19, 2022.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
For the reasons stated in the preamble, DOE corrects part 430 of
chapter II, subchapter D, of title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations by making the following correcting amendments:
PART 430--ENERGY CONSERVATION PROGRAM FOR CONSUMER PRODUCTS
0
1. The authority citation for part 430 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 6291-6309; 28 U.S.C. 2461 note.
0
2. Appendix J to subpart B of part 430 is amended by:
0
a. Revising section 3.2.3.5; and
0
b. In section 3.3, in the first sentence, removing the words ``was
defined'' and adding in their place ``as defined''.
The revision reads as follows:
Appendix J to Subpart B of Part 430--Uniform Test Method for Measuring
the Energy Consumption of Automatic and Semi-Automatic Clothes Washers
* * * * *
3. * * *
3.2.3.5 Clothes washers with multiple water fill control
systems. If a clothes washer allows user selection among multiple
water fill control systems, test all water fill control systems and,
for each one, calculate the energy consumption (HE<INF>T</INF>,
ME<INF>T</INF>, DE<INF>T</INF>, and E<INF>TLP</INF>) and water
consumption (Q<INF>T</INF>) values as set forth in section 4 of this
appendix. Then, calculate the average of the tested values (one from
each water fill control system) for each variable (HE<INF>T</INF>,
ME<INF>T</INF>, DE<INF>T</INF>, E<INF>TLP</INF>, and Q<INF>T</INF>)
and use the average value for each variable in the final
calculations in section 4 of this appendix.
* * * * *
0
3. Appendix J2 to subpart B of part 430 is amended by adding notes 1
and 2 following Table 5.1 in section 5 to read as follows:
Appendix J2 to Subpart B of Part 430--Uniform Test Method for Measuring
the Energy Consumption of Automatic and Semi-Automatic Clothes Washers
* * * * *
5. * * *
Table 5.1--Test Load Sizes
* * * * *
Notes: (1) All test load weights are bone-dry weights.
(2) Allowable tolerance on the test load weights is <plus-
minus>0.10 lbs (0.05 kg).
0
4. Appendix J3 to subpart B of part 430 is amended by revising Table
8.7 in section 8.7 to read as follows:
Appendix J3 to Subpart B of Part 430--Energy Test Cloth Specifications
and Procedures for Determining Correction Coefficients of New Energy
Test Cloth Lots
* * * * *
8. * * *
Table 8.7--Standard RMC Values
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RMC percentage
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Warm soak Cold soak
``g Force'' ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15 min. spin 15 min. spin 4 min. spin
(percent) 4 min. spin (percent) (percent) (percent)
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100 45.9 49.9 49.7 52.8
200 35.7 40.4 37.9 43.1
350 29.6 33.1 30.7 35.8
500 24.2 28.7 25.5 30.0
650 23.0 26.4 24.1 28.0
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[[Page 78821]]
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[FR Doc. 2022-27877 Filed 12-22-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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