Notice2023-20827
Energy Conservation Program: Proposed Agency Information Collection Extension
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
September 26, 2023
Issuing agencies
Energy Department
Abstract
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) intends to extend for three years with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Certification Reports, Compliance Statements, Application for a Test Procedure Waiver, and Recordkeeping for Consumer Products and Commercial/Industrial Equipment subject to Energy or Water Conservation Standards Package under OMB No. 1910-1400.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 185 (Tuesday, September 26, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 26, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65994-65996]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-20827]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[EERE-2023-BT-CE-0001]
Energy Conservation Program: Proposed Agency Information
Collection Extension
AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Information collection extension; notice and request for
comment.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) intends to extend for
three years with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the
Certification Reports, Compliance Statements, Application for a Test
Procedure Waiver, and Recordkeeping for Consumer Products and
Commercial/Industrial Equipment subject to Energy or Water Conservation
Standards Package under OMB No. 1910-1400.
DATES: DOE will accept comments, data, and information regarding this
proposal no later than November 27, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are encouraged to submit comments using
the Federal eRulemaking Portal at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> under docket
number EERE-2023-BT-CE-0001. Follow the instructions for submitting
comments. Alternatively, interested persons may submit comments,
identified by docket number EERE-2023-BT-CE-0001, by any of the
following methods:
Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#df9eafafb3b6beb1bcba8cabbeb1bbbeadbbac8eaabaacabb6b0b1ac9fbabaf1bbb0baf1b8b0a9"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ecad9c9c80858d828f89bf988d82888d9e889fbd99899f988583829fac8989c2888389c28b839a">[email protected]</span></a>. Include the docket
number EERE-2023-BT-CE-0001 in the subject line of the message.
Postal Mail: Appliance and Equipment Standards Program, U.S.
Department of Energy, Building Technologies Office, Mailstop EE-5B,
1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone:
(202) 287-1445. If possible, please submit all items on a compact disc
(``CD''), in which case it is not necessary to include printed copies.
Hand Delivery/Courier: Appliance and Equipment Standards Program,
U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technologies Office, 1000
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585. Telephone: (202) 287-
1445. If possible, please submit all items on a CD, in which case it is
not necessary to include printed copies.
No telefacsimiles (``faxes'') will be accepted.
Docket: The docket for this activity, which includes Federal
Register notices, public meeting attendee lists and transcripts (if a
public meeting is held), comments, and other supporting documents/
materials, is available for review at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. All
documents in the docket are listed in the <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> index.
However, not all documents listed in the index may be publicly
available, such as information that is exempt from public disclosure.
The docket web page can be found at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE-2023-BT-CE-0001">www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE-2023-BT-CE-0001</a>. The docket web page contains instructions on how
to access all documents, including public comments, in the docket.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Lucas Adin, 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) 287-5904. Email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#96d7e6e6fafff7f8f5f3c5e2f7f8f2f7e4f2e5c7e3f3e5e2fff9f8e5d6f3f3b8f2f9f3b8f1f9e0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0d4c7d7d61646c636e685e796c63696c7f697e5c78687e796462637e4d686823696268236a627b">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the
proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the
information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of
automated collection techniques or other forms of information
technology.
This information collection request contains:
(1) OMB No.: 1910-1400;
(2) Information Collection Request Title: Certification Reports,
Compliance Statements, Application for a Test Procedure Waiver,
Application for Extension of Representation Requirements, Labeling, and
Recordkeeping for Consumer Products and Commercial/Industrial Equipment
[[Page 65995]]
subject to Federal Energy or Water Conservation Standards;
(3) Type of Request: Revision with changes;
(4) Purpose: Pursuant to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as
amended (``EPCA'' or ``the Act''),\1\ Public Law 94-163 (42 U.S.C.
6291-6317, as codified), DOE regulates the energy efficiency of a
number of consumer products, and commercial and industrial equipment.
Title III, Part B \2\ of EPCA established the Energy Conservation
Program for Consumer Products Other Than Automobiles, which sets forth
a variety of provisions designed to improve energy efficiency of
covered consumer products (``covered products''). Title III, Part C \3\
of EPCA, added by Public Law 95-619, Title IV, section 441(a),
established the Energy Conservation Program for Certain Industrial
Equipment, which sets forth a variety of provisions designed to improve
energy efficiency of covered commercial and industrial equipment
(collectively referred to as ``covered equipment'').
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\1\ All references to EPCA in this document refer to the statute
as amended through the Energy Act of 2020, Public Law 116-260 (Dec.
27, 2020), which reflect the last statutory amendments that impact
Parts A and A-1 of EPCA.
\2\ For editorial reasons, upon codification in the U.S. Code,
Part B was redesignated Part A.
\3\ For editorial reasons, upon codification in the U.S. Code,
Part C was redesignated Part A-1.
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Covered products and covered equipment are described in 10 CFR
parts 429, 430, and 431. These covered products and covered equipment,
including all product or equipment classes, include: (1) Consumer
refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers and freezers; (2) Room air
conditioners; (3) Central air conditioners and central air conditioning
heat pumps; (4) Consumer water heaters; (5) Consumer furnaces and
boilers; (6) Dishwashers; (7) Residential clothes washers; (8) Clothes
dryers; (9) Direct heating equipment; (10) Cooking products; (11) Pool
heaters; (12) Television sets; (13) Fluorescent lamp ballasts; (14)
General service fluorescent lamps, general service incandescent lamps,
and incandescent reflector lamps; (15) Faucets; (16) Showerheads; (17)
Water closets; (18) Urinals; (19) Ceiling fans; (20) Ceiling fan light
kits; (21) Torchieres; (22) Compact fluorescent lamps; (23)
Dehumidifiers; (24) External power supplies; (25) Battery chargers;
(26) Candelabra base incandescent lamps and intermediate base
incandescent lamps; (27) Commercial warm air furnaces; (28) Commercial
refrigerators, freezers, and refrigerator-freezers; (29) Commercial
heating and air conditioning equipment; \4\ (30) Commercial water
heating equipment; (31) Automatic commercial ice makers; (32)
Commercial clothes washers; (33) Distribution transformers; (34)
Illuminated exit signs; (35) Traffic signal modules and pedestrian
modules; (36) Commercial unit heaters; (37) Commercial pre-rinse spray
valves; (38) Refrigerated bottled or canned beverage vending machines;
(39) Walk-in coolers and walk-in freezers and certain components; (40)
Metal halide lamp ballasts and fixtures; (41) Integrated light-emitting
diode lamps; (42) General service lamps; (43) Furnace fans; (44) Pumps;
(45) Commercial packaged boilers; (46) Consumer miscellaneous
refrigeration equipment; (47) Portable air conditioners; (48)
Compressors; (49) Electric motors; (50) Small electric motors; (51)
rough service lamps; (52) vibration service lamps; (53) dedicated-
purpose pool pump motors; and (54) air cleaners.
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\4\ Commercial heating and air conditioning equipment includes
Computer Room Air Conditioners; Air-Cooled, Three-Phase, Small
Commercial Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps w/a Cooling Capacity of
Less Than 65,000 Btu/h and Air-Cooled, Three-Phase Variable
Refrigerant Flow Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps w/a Cooling
Capacity of Less Than 65,000 Btu/h; Single Packaged Vertical Air
Conditioners and Heat Pumps; and Direct-expansion Dedicated Outdoor
Air Systems.
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Under EPCA, DOE's energy conservation program consists essentially
of four parts: (1) Testing, (2) labeling, (3) Federal energy
conservation standards, and (4) certification and enforcement
procedures. For consumer products, relevant provisions of the Act
specifically include definitions (42 U.S.C. 6291), energy conservation
standards (42 U.S.C. 6295), test procedures (42 U.S.C. 6293), labeling
provisions (42 U.S.C. 6294), and the authority to require information
and reports from manufacturers (42 U.S.C. 6296). For covered equipment,
relevant provisions of the Act include definitions (42 U.S.C. 6311),
energy conservation standards (42 U.S.C. 6313), test procedures (42
U.S.C. 6314), labeling provisions (42 U.S.C. 6315), and the authority
to require information and reports from manufacturers (42 U.S.C. 6316).
DOE is seeking to renew its information collection related to the
following aspects of the appliance standards program: (1) Gathering
data and submitting certification and compliance reports for each basic
model distributed in commerce in the U.S. including supplemental
testing instructions for certain commercial equipment; (2) maintaining
records underlying the certified ratings for each basic model including
test data and the associated calculations; (3) applications for a test
procedure waiver, which manufacturers may elect to submit if they
manufacture a basic model that cannot be tested pursuant to the DOE
test procedure; (4) applications requesting an extension of the date by
which representations must be made in accordance with any new or
amended DOE test procedure; and (5) labeling.
DOE's certification and compliance activities ensure accurate and
comprehensive information about the energy and water use
characteristics of covered products and covered equipment sold in the
United States. Manufacturers of all covered products and covered
equipment must submit a certification report before a basic model is
distributed in commerce, annually thereafter, and if the basic model is
redesigned in such a manner to increase the consumption or decrease the
efficiency of the basic model such that the certified rating is no
longer supported by the test data. Additionally, manufacturers must
report when production of a basic model has ceased and is no longer
offered for sale as part of the next annual certification report
following such cessation. DOE requires the manufacturer of any covered
product or covered equipment to establish, maintain, and retain the
records of certification reports, of the underlying test data for all
certification testing, and of any other testing conducted to satisfy
the requirements of part 429, part 430, and/or part 431. Certification
reports provide DOE and consumers with comprehensive, up-to-date
efficiency information and support effective enforcement.
As the result of a several changes to its regulatory provisions for
covered products and equipment enacted through rulemakings since the
last review of the current information collection, DOE has also
proposed several updates to its certification provisions for the
affected products and equipment. DOE proposed these changes in a notice
of proposed rulemaking issued on August 28, 2023 (``Certification
NOPR''). The total annual estimated respondents, responses, burden
hours, and reporting and recordkeeping cost burden that are reported in
this notice include the additional costs that DOE estimated would
result from the changes to certification reporting requirements
proposed in the Certification NOPR. The notice of proposed rulemaking
for these certification provisions is included in docket number EERE-
2023-BT-CE-0001.
(5) Proposed changes to the information collection, including
[[Page 65996]]
description of additional information that would be collected.
In a proposed rule issued on August 28, 2023,\5\ the U.S.
Department of Energy (``DOE'') proposed to establish and amend the
certification provisions, labeling requirements, and enforcement
provisions for the following products and equipment: central air
conditioners and heat pumps; dishwashers; residential clothes washers;
pool heaters; dehumidifiers; external power supplies; battery chargers;
computer room air conditioners; direct-expansion outdoor air systems;
Air Cooled, Three-Phase, Small Commercial Air Conditioners and Heat
Pumps with a Cooling Capacity of Less Than 65,000 Btu/h and Air-Cooled,
Three-Phase, Variable Refrigerant Flow Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps
with a Cooling Capacity of Less Than 65,000 Btu/h; commercial water
heating equipment; automatic commercial ice makers; walk-in coolers and
freezers; commercial and industrial pumps; portable air conditioners;
compressors; dedicated-purpose pool pump motors; air cleaners; single-
package vertical air conditioners and heat pumps; and ceiling fan light
kits. These proposed amendments are described in sections II and III of
the proposed rule. DOE is proposing these amendments to align reporting
that is consistent with currently applicable energy conservation
standards and test procedures and to ensure DOE has the information
necessary to determine the appropriate classification of products for
the application of standards.
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\5\ The pre-publication proposed rule can be accessed at <a href="https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/cce-nop.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery">https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/cce-nop.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery</a>.
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(6) Annual Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,083;
(7) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 32,255;
(8) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 776,310 (35 hours per
certification, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching
existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and
completing and reviewing the collection of information; 16 additional
hours for creating supplement testing instructions for commercial HVAC,
water heating, and refrigeration equipment manufacturers; 160 hours for
test procedure waiver preparation; 160 hours for representation
extension request preparation), 1 hour for creating and applying a
label for walk-in cooler and freezer, commercial and industrial pump,
and electric motor manufacturers).
(9) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden:
$51,795,000.
Statutory Authority: Section 326(d) of the Energy Policy and
Conservation Act, Public Law 94-163, as amended (42 U.S.C. 6296); 10
CFR parts 429, 430, and 431.
Signing Authority
This document of the Department of Energy was signed on September
19, 2023, by Jeffrey Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
for Energy Efficiency and Renewable 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 September 21, 2023.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2023-20827 Filed 9-25-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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