[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 48 (Monday, March 11, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 17338-17343]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-04772]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
10 CFR Part 430
[EERE-2024-BT-STD-0002]
Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for
Dishwashers, Residential Clothes Washers, and Consumer Clothes Dryers
AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Request for information.
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SUMMARY: In light of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth
Circuit recently granting a petition for review of a final rule
published by the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') on January 19,
2022, and remanding the matter to DOE for further proceedings, DOE is
initiating an information and data gathering effort on whether ``short-
cycle'' product classes for dishwashers, residential clothes washers,
and consumer clothes dryers are warranted under the Energy Policy and
Conservation Act. In this request for information, DOE solicits data
and information from the public to help
[[Page 17339]]
DOE in its rulemaking to evaluate whether: products with a ``short
cycle'' as the normal cycle are available in the market; and products
with a ``short cycle'' as the normal cycle should be subject to
different standards than products without a ``short cycle'' as the
normal cycle.
DATES: Written comments and information are requested and will be
accepted on or before April 10, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are encouraged to submit comments using
the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.govunder docket
number EERE-2024-BT-STD-0002. Follow the instructions for submitting
comments. Alternatively, interested persons may submit comments may
submit comments, identified by docket number EERE-2024-BT-STD-0002, by
any of the following methods:
(1) Email: [email protected]. Include the docket
number EERE-2024-BT-STD-0002 in the subject line of the message.
(2) 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.
(3) Hand Delivery/Courier: Appliance and Equipment Standards
Program, U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technologies Office, 1000
Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. 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. For detailed
instructions on submitting comments and additional information on this
process, see section III of this document.
Docket: The docket for this activity, which includes Federal
Register notices, comments, and other supporting documents/materials,
is available for review at www.regulations.gov. All documents in the
docket are listed in the www.regulations.gov index. However, some
documents listed in the index, such as those containing information
that is exempt from public disclosure, may not be publicly available.
The docket web page can be found at www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE-2024-BT-STD-0002. The docket web page contains instructions on how
to access all documents, including public comments, in the docket. See
section III for information on how to submit comments through
www.regulations.gov.
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: [email protected]">ApplianceStandards[email protected].
Mr. Pete Cochran, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General
Counsel, GC-33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121.
Telephone: (202) 586-9496. Email: [email protected].
For further information on how to submit a comment, or review other
public comments and the docket, contact the Appliance and Equipment
Standards Program staff at (202) 287-1445 or by email:
[email protected]">ApplianceStandards[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
A. Authority
B. History of Rulemakings for Short-Cycle Dishwashers,
Residential Clothes Washers, and Consumer Clothes Dryers
II. Request for Information and Comments
III. Submission of Comments
IV. Approval of the Office of the Secretary
I. Introduction
The following section briefly discusses the statutory authority
underlying this request for information (``RFI''), as well as some of
the historical background relevant to dishwashers, residential clothes
washers (``RCWs''), and consumer clothes dryers.
A. Authority
The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, Public Law 94-163, as
amended (``EPCA''),\1\ authorizes DOE to regulate the energy efficiency
of a number of consumer products and certain industrial equipment. (42
U.S.C. 6291-6317, as codified) Title III, Part B of EPCA \2\
established the Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products Other
Than Automobiles. (42 U.S.C. 6291-6309) These products include
dishwashers, RCWs, and consumer clothes dryers, the subjects of this
document. (42 U.S.C. 6292(a)(6), (7), and (8), respectively)
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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.
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The energy conservation program under EPCA consists essentially of
four parts: (1) testing, (2) labeling, (3) the establishment of Federal
energy conservation standards, and (4) certification and enforcement
procedures. Relevant provisions of EPCA include definitions (42 U.S.C.
6291), test procedures (42 U.S.C. 6293), labeling provisions (42 U.S.C.
6294), energy conservation standards (42 U.S.C. 6295), and the
authority to require information and reports from manufacturers (42
U.S.C. 6296).
Federal energy efficiency requirements for covered products
established under EPCA generally supersede State laws and regulations
concerning energy conservation testing, labeling, and standards. (42
U.S.C. 6297(a)-(c)) DOE may, however, grant waivers of Federal
preemption in limited circumstances for particular State laws or
regulations, in accordance with the procedures and other provisions set
forth under EPCA. (42 U.S.C. 6297(d))
Subject to certain criteria and conditions, DOE is required to
develop test procedures to measure the energy efficiency, energy use,
or estimated annual operating cost of each covered product. (42 U.S.C.
6295(r)) Manufacturers of covered products must use the prescribed DOE
test procedure as the basis for certifying to DOE that their product
complies with the applicable energy conservation standards and as the
basis for any representations regarding the energy use or energy
efficiency of the product. (42 U.S.C. 6295(s) and 42 U.S.C. 6293(c)).
Similarly, DOE must use these test procedures to evaluate whether a
basic model complies with the applicable energy conservation
standard(s). (42 U.S.C. 6295(s)). The DOE test procedures for
dishwashers appear at title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
part 430, subpart B, appendices C1 and C2. The DOE test procedures for
RCWs appear at 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendices J and J2. The DOE
test procedures for consumer clothes dryers appear at 10 CFR part 430,
subpart B, appendices D1 and D2.
EPCA prescribed energy conservation standards for dishwashers,
RCWs, and consumer clothes dryers (42 U.S.C. 6295(g)(1) and (10)(A); 42
U.S.C. 6295(g)(2) and (9)(A); and 42 U.S.C. 6295(g)(3)) and directed
DOE to conduct future rulemakings to determine whether to amend these
standards. (42 U.S.C. 6295(g)(4) and (10)(B); 42 U.S.C. 6295(g)(4) and
(9)(B); and 42 U.S.C. 6295(g)(4)) Not later than six years after
[[Page 17340]]
the issuance of any final rule establishing or amending a standard, DOE
must publish either a notice of determination (``NOPD'') that standards
for the product do not need to be amended, or a NOPR including new
proposed energy conservation standards (proceeding to a final rule, as
appropriate). (42 U.S.C. 6295(m)(1)) DOE must make the analysis on
which a NOPD or NOPR is based publicly available and provide an
opportunity for written comment. (42 U.S.C. 6295(m)(2)) Not later than
two years after a NOPR is issued, DOE must publish a final rule
amending the energy conservation standard for the product. (42 U.S.C.
6295(m)(3)(A))
DOE must follow specific statutory criteria for prescribing new or
amended standards for covered products, including dishwashers, RCWs,
and consumer clothes dryers. Any new or amended standard for a covered
product must be designed to achieve the maximum improvement in energy
efficiency that the Secretary of Energy (``Secretary'') determines is
technologically feasible and economically justified. (42 U.S.C.
6295(o)(2)(A)) Furthermore, DOE may not adopt any standard that would
not result in the significant conservation of energy. (42 U.S.C.
6295(o)(3)(B))
Moreover, DOE may not prescribe a standard if DOE determines by
rule that the establishment of such standard will not result in
significant conservation of energy (or, for certain products, water),
or is not technologically feasible or economically justified. (42
U.S.C. 6295(o)(3)(B)) In deciding whether a proposed standard is
economically justified, DOE must determine whether the benefits of the
standard exceed its burdens. (42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(2)(B)(i)) DOE must make
this determination after receiving comments on the proposed standard,
and by considering, to the greatest extent practicable, the following
seven statutory factors:
(1) The economic impact of the standard on manufacturers and
consumers of the products subject to the standard;
(2) The savings in operating costs throughout the estimated average
life of the covered products in the type (or class) compared to any
increase in the price, initial charges, or maintenance expenses for the
covered products that are likely to result from the standard;
(3) The total projected amount of energy (or as applicable, water)
savings likely to result directly from the standard;
(4) Any lessening of the utility or the performance of the covered
products likely to result from the standard;
(5) The impact of any lessening of competition, as determined in
writing by the Attorney General, that is likely to result from the
standard;
(6) The need for national energy and water conservation; and
(7) Other factors the Secretary considers relevant.
(42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(2)(B)(i)(I)-(VII))
Further, EPCA, as codified, establishes a rebuttable presumption
that a standard is economically justified if the Secretary finds that
the additional cost to the consumer of purchasing a product complying
with an energy conservation standard level will be less than three
times the value of the energy savings during the first year that the
consumer will receive as a result of the standard, as calculated under
the applicable test procedure. (42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(2)(B)(iii))
EPCA, as codified, also contains what is known as an ``anti-
backsliding'' provision, which prevents the Secretary from prescribing
any amended standard that either increases the maximum allowable energy
use or decreases the minimum required energy efficiency of a covered
product. (42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(1)) Also, the Secretary may not prescribe
an amended or new standard if interested persons have established by a
preponderance of the evidence that the standard is likely to result in
the unavailability in the United States in any covered product type (or
class) of performance characteristics (including reliability),
features, sizes, capacities, and volumes that are substantially the
same as those generally available in the United States. (42 U.S.C.
6295(o)(4))
Additionally, EPCA specifies requirements when promulgating an
energy conservation standard for a covered product that has two or more
subcategories. A rule prescribing an energy conservation standard for a
type (or class) of product must specify a different standard level for
a type or class of products that has the same function or intended use
if DOE determines that products within such group (A) consume a
different kind of energy from that consumed by other covered products
within such type (or class); or (B) have a capacity or other
performance-related feature which other products within such type (or
class) do not have and such feature justifies a higher or lower
standard. (42 U.S.C. 6295(q)(1)) In determining whether a performance-
related feature justifies a different standard for a group of products,
DOE considers such factors as the utility to the consumer of such a
feature and other factors DOE deems appropriate. Id. Any rule
prescribing such a standard must include an explanation of the basis on
which such higher or lower level was established. (42 U.S.C.
6295(q)(2))
Finally, pursuant to the amendments to EPCA contained in the Energy
Independence and Security Act of 2007, Public Law 110-140, any final
rule for new or amended energy conservation standards promulgated after
July 1, 2010, is required to address standby mode and off mode energy
use. (42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(3)) Specifically, when DOE adopts a standard
for a covered product after that date, it must, if justified by the
criteria for adoption of standards under EPCA (42 U.S.C. 6295(o)),
incorporate standby mode and off mode energy use into a single
standard, or, if that is not feasible, adopt a separate standard for
such energy use for that product. (42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(3)(A)-(B)) DOE's
current test procedures and standards for dishwashers, RCWs, and
consumer clothes dryers address standby mode and off mode energy use.
B. History of Rulemakings for Short-Cycle Dishwashers, Residential
Clothes Washers, and Consumer Clothes Dryers
The Administrative Procedure Act (``APA''), 5 U.S.C. 551 et seq.,
provides among other things, that ``[e]ach agency shall give an
interested person the right to petition for the issuance, amendment, or
repeal of a rule.'' (5 U.S.C. 553(e)) Pursuant to this provision of the
APA, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (``CEI'') petitioned DOE for
the issuance of a rule establishing a new product class under 42 U.S.C.
6295(q) that would cover dishwashers with a cycle time of less than one
hour from washing through drying.\3\ On October 30, 2020, DOE published
a final rule that established a product class for standard-size
dishwashers with a cycle time for the normal cycle \4\ of 60 minutes or
less. 85 FR 68723 (``October 2020 Final Rule'').
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\3\ Available at www.regulations.gov/document/EERE-2018-BT-STD-0005-0006.
\4\ Through the remainder of this document, DOE uses the term
``normal cycle'' to refer to the cycle required for test under the
applicable DOE test procedure.
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Following this, having determined that similarities exist between
the consumer use of dishwashers, RCWs, and consumer clothes dryers
(i.e., products that provide consumer utility over discrete cycles with
programmed cycle times, and consumers run these cycles multiple times
per week on average), DOE published a final rule on December 16, 2020,
that established product classes for top-loading RCWs and certain
classes of consumer clothes
[[Page 17341]]
dryers with a cycle time of less than 30 minutes, and front-loading
RCWs with a cycle time of less than 45 minutes. 85 FR 81359 (``December
2020 Final Rule'').
The October 2020 Final Rule and the December 2020 Final Rule
specified that the short-cycle product classes created by their
respective rules are not currently subject to energy or water
conservation standards. 85 FR 68723, 68742; 85 FR 81359, 81376.
On January 19, 2022, DOE published a final rule (``January 2022
Final Rule'') revoking the October 2020 Final Rule and the December
2020 Final Rule on the basis that those earlier rules resulted in
amended energy conservation standards for the short-cycle product
classes, but did not determine whether relevant statutory criteria for
amending standards were met. 87 FR 2673. The January 2022 Final Rule
reinstated the prior product classes and applicable standards for these
covered products. Id.
On March 17, 2022, various States filed a petition in the Fifth
Circuit Court of Appeals seeking review of a final rule revoking two
final rules that established product classes for residential
dishwashers with a cycle time for the normal cycle of 60 minutes or
less, top-loading RCWs and certain classes of consumer clothes dryers
with a cycle time of less than 30 minutes, and front-loading RCWs with
a cycle time of less than 45 minutes (collectively, ``short-cycle
product classes''). The petitioners argued that the final rule revoking
the short-cycle product classes violated EPCA and was arbitrary and
capricious. On January 8, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for
the Fifth Circuit granted the petition for review and remanded the
matter to DOE for further proceedings consistent with the Fifth
Circuit's opinion. See Louisiana v. United States Department of Energy,
90 F.4th 461 (5th Cir. 2024).
In this request for information, DOE is commencing a rulemaking
process on remand from the Fifth Circuit (the Remand Proceeding) by
soliciting further information, relevant to the issues identified by
the Fifth Circuit, regarding any short cycle product classes. DOE
intends to use the data and information collected in response to this
request for information to conduct the analysis required by 42 U.S.C.
6295(q)(1)(B) to determine whether any short-cycle products have a
``capacity or other performance-related feature [that] . . . justifies
a higher or lower standard from that which applies (or will apply) to
other products. . . .''
The current standards applicable to residential clothes washers,
dishwashers, and consumers clothes dryers are in 10 CFR 430.32(g)(4),
10 CFR 430.32(f)(1), and 10 CFR 430.32(h)(3), respectively. In
addition, EPCA's anti-backsliding provision precludes DOE from
prescribing any amended standard ``which increases the maximum
allowable energy use'' of a covered product. 42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(1).
II. Request for Information and Comments
In this request for information, DOE is soliciting further
information, relevant to the issues identified by the Fifth Circuit,
regarding short-cycle product classes for dishwashers, RCWs, and
consumer clothes dryers. DOE intends to use the data and information
collected in response to this request for information to conduct the
analysis required by 42 U.S.C. 6295(q)(1)(B) to determine whether
short-cycle products should be subject to a different standard than
non-short-cycle products.
In this section, DOE has identified specific information and data
on which it seeks input regarding ``short cycles'' for dishwashers,
RCWs, and consumer clothes dryers.
As discussed, the October 2020 Final Rule and December 2020 Final
Rule established short-cycle product classes for dishwashers with a
normal cycle time of 60 minutes or less; top-loading standard-size RCWs
with an average cycle time of less than 30 minutes and front-loading
standard-size RCWs with an average cycle time of less than 45 minutes;
and vented electric standard-size clothes dryers and vented gas clothes
dryers with a cycle time of less than 30 minutes. 85 FR 68723; 85 FR
81359, 81360.
Issue 1: DOE requests information on whether manufacturers optimize
their dishwasher, RCW, or consumer clothes dryer normal cycles for a
target cycle length, and if so, what target cycle times are considered.
DOE requests data indicating what a consumer-acceptable cycle time is
for the normal cycle in dishwashers, RCWs, and consumer clothes dryers.
Issue 2: DOE requests data indicating how consumers trade off
preferences between cycle time and other product characteristics.
As presented in the rulemaking dockets for the October 2020 Final
Rule and the December 2020 Final Rule, DOE has previously published the
following cycle time data: the results of DOE testing of 31 standard-
size dishwashers, including Cleaning Indexes; \5\ individual test cycle
and average cycle time data for 23 top-loading standard-size RCWs and
20 front-loading standard-size RCWs tested by DOE; \6\ cycle time data
for 6 vented electric standard-size and 8 vented gas consumer clothes
dryers tested by DOE; \7\ and cycle time data for an additional 245
vented electric standard-size and 110 vented gas consumer clothes
dryers from the ENERGY STAR product database.\8\
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\5\ Available at www.regulations.gov/document/EERE-2018-BT-STD-0005-3213.
\6\ Available at www.regulations.gov/document/EERE-2020-BT-STD-0001-0007.
\7\ Ibid.
\8\ Ibid.
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Issue 3: DOE requests information on dishwashers, RCWs, and
consumer clothes dryers that are currently available on the market with
normal cycle times that meet consumer expectations of a short cycle for
each product. For any such models, DOE requests data on the energy and
water consumption. DOE also requests data and information on whether
and how such products contain any unique design attributes or
performance characteristics compared to other products with longer
normal cycle times, and what drives such differences from a design
perspective.
Issue 4: DOE seeks data regarding the historical change in cycle
times for dishwashers, RCWs, and consumer clothes dryers.
In addition, DOE notes that most basic models of dishwashers, RCWs,
and consumer clothes dryers also provide multiple cycles outside the
normal cycle. For instance, a dishwasher may have a quick cycle, heavy
cycle, delicates, etc. in addition to the normal cycle. These
additional cycles may provide either longer or shorter cycle times than
the normal cycle and may also be designed to optimize other performance
characteristics or be optimized for different loads than the normal
cycle.
Issue 5: For all models, DOE requests comment on how manufacturers
design or optimize any shorter cycle(s) on a given model differently
than the normal cycle on that same model. DOE further requests
information on whether any design or performance tradeoffs are made on
these shorter cycles, and if so, what those tradeoffs are and to what
extent they differ from the normal cycle.
Issue 6: DOE requests comment on whether manufacturers plan to (or
would continue to) maintain two separate product lines--one optimized
to meet consumer demand for short cycles, and one optimized for
attributes other than cycle time--and if so, DOE requests information
on the financial impacts of developing and maintaining two separate
product lines instead of one. DOE further requests comment on
[[Page 17342]]
which product line manufacturers would prioritize, if they decided to
offer only a single product line.
Issue 7: DOE requests information on consumer preferences for: (1)
a short cycle as the normal cycle and (2) the presence of short cycles
available as cycle types outside the normal cycle.
Issue 8: DOE requests historical market information on any
dishwashers, RCWs, or consumer clothes dryers that have been advertised
or designed to provide a short cycle, and the relevant performance
attributes of such products (including but not limited to energy use,
water use, and cleaning performance).
Issue 9: For all models, not limited to those designed for a short
cycle as the normal cycle, DOE requests data and information about
consumer behaviors that affect energy and water consumption, such as
pre-washing, handwashing, and running multiple cycles on the same load,
and whether and how these behaviors may change according to the cycle
selected.
Issue 10: For all models, not limited to those designed for a short
cycle as the normal cycle, DOE requests data regarding cycle time and
energy and water consumption that would demonstrate whether a separate
standard level whether higher or lower should be considered for
products with a given cycle length pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 6295(q)(2).
III. Submission of Comments
DOE invites all interested parties to submit in writing by the date
specified in the DATES section of this document, comments and
information on matters addressed in this document and on other matters
relevant to short cycles for dishwashers, RCWs, and consumer clothes
dryers.
Submitting comments via www.regulations.gov. The
www.regulations.gov web page requires you to provide your name and
contact information. Your contact information will be viewable to DOE
Building Technologies Office staff only. Your contact information will
not be publicly viewable except for your first and last names,
organization name (if any), and submitter representative name (if any).
If your comment is not processed properly because of technical
difficulties, DOE will use this information to contact you. If DOE
cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot
contact you for clarification, DOE may not be able to consider your
comment.
However, your contact information will be publicly viewable if you
include it in the comment or in any documents attached to your comment.
Any information that you do not want to be publicly viewable should not
be included in your comment, nor in any document attached to your
comment. If this instruction is followed, persons viewing comments will
see only first and last names, organization names, correspondence
containing comments, and any documents submitted with the comments.
Do not submit to www.regulations.gov information for which
disclosure is restricted by statute, such as trade secrets and
commercial or financial information (hereinafter referred to as
Confidential Business Information (``CBI'')). Comments submitted
through www.regulations.gov cannot be claimed as CBI. Comments received
through the website will waive any CBI claims for the information
submitted. For information on submitting CBI, see the Confidential
Business Information section.
DOE processes submissions made through www.regulations.gov before
posting. Normally, comments will be posted within a few days of being
submitted. However, if large volumes of comments are being processed
simultaneously, your comment may not be viewable for up to several
weeks. Please keep the comment tracking number that www.regulations.gov
provides after you have successfully uploaded your comment.
Submitting comments via email, hand delivery/courier, or postal
mail. Comments and documents submitted via email, hand delivery/
courier, or postal mail also will be posted to www.regulations.gov. If
you do not want your personal contact information to be publicly
viewable, do not include it in your comment or any accompanying
documents. Instead, provide your contact information on a cover letter.
Include your first and last names, email address, telephone number, and
optional mailing address. The cover letter will not be publicly
viewable as long as it does not include any comments.
Include contact information each time you submit comments, data,
documents, and other information to DOE. If you submit via postal mail
or hand delivery/courier, please provide all items on a CD, if
feasible, in which case it is not necessary to submit printed copies.
No faxes will be accepted.
Comments, data, and other information submitted to DOE
electronically should be provided in PDF (preferred), Microsoft Word or
Excel, WordPerfect, or text (ASCII) file format. Provide documents that
are not secured, written in English and free of any defects or viruses.
Documents should not contain special characters or any form of
encryption and, if possible, they should carry the electronic signature
of the author.
Campaign form letters. Please submit campaign form letters by the
originating organization in batches of between 50 to 500 form letters
per PDF or as one form letter with a list of supporters' names compiled
into one or more PDFs. This reduces comment processing and posting
time.
Confidential Business Information. Pursuant to 10 CFR 1004.11, any
person submitting information that he or she believes to be
confidential and exempt by law from public disclosure should submit via
email two well-marked copies: one copy of the document marked
confidential including all the information believed to be confidential,
and one copy of the document marked ``non-confidential'' with the
information believed to be confidential deleted. DOE will make its own
determination about the confidential status of the information and
treat it according to its determination.
It is DOE's policy that all comments may be included in the public
docket, without change and as received, including any personal
information provided in the comments (except information deemed to be
exempt from public disclosure).
DOE considers public participation to be a very important part of
the process for developing energy conservation standards. DOE actively
encourages the participation and interaction of the public during the
comment period in this process. Interactions with and between members
of the public provide a balanced discussion of the issues and assist
DOE. Anyone who wishes to be added to the DOE mailing list to receive
future notices and information about this process or would like to
request a public meeting should contact Appliance and Equipment
Standards Program staff at (202) 287-1445 or via email at
[email protected]">ApplianceStandards[email protected].
IV. Approval of the Office of the Secretary
The Secretary of Energy has approved publication of this request
for information.
Signing Authority
This document of the Department of Energy was signed on February
29, 2024, 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
[[Page 17343]]
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 March 1, 2024.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2024-04772 Filed 3-8-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P