96-31962. Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Appliance Energy Efficiency Standards

[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 243 (Tuesday, December 17, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 66270]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-31962]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy


Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Meeting of the 
Advisory Committee on Appliance Energy Efficiency Standards

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of 
Energy.

ACTION: Notice of meeting of the Advisory Committee on Appliance Energy 
Efficiency Standards.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (the Department or DOE) will hold a 
meeting of the Advisory Committee on Appliance Energy Efficiency. The 
Department will consider the information and comments received at this 
meeting in preparation of its rulemakings. All persons are hereby given 
notice of the first meeting of the Advisory Committee on Appliance 
Energy Efficiency Standards.

DATES: The first meeting of the advisory committee will be held on 
Wednesday, January 8, 1997, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The Advisory Committee meeting will be held at the Embassy 
Row Hotel, 2015 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C. 20036, 
[phone]. Rooms are available at the discounted government rate.
    Copies of the Committee's charter and this notice may be viewed at 
the DOE Freedom of Information Reading Room, Forrestal Building, Room 
1E-190, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-
6020 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kathi Epping, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency 
and Renewable Energy, Forrestal Building, Mail Station EE-43, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121, [phone]
Michael McCabe, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency 
and Renewable Energy, Forrestal Building, Mail Station EE-43, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121, [phone]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as 
amended by the National Energy Policy Conservation Act, the National 
Appliance Energy Conservation Act, the National Appliance Energy 
Conservation Amendments of 1988, and the Energy Policy Act of 1992, 
prescribes energy conservation standards for certain major appliances 
and equipment and requires the Department of Energy to administer an 
energy conservation program for the products. Recent appliance 
rulemakings have highlighted the need to address a number of complex 
issues concerning the impact of standards on consumers and 
manufacturers. In response to these issues, the Department initiated a 
comprehensive process improvement effort to examine, through a series 
of stakeholder meetings and interviews, issues surrounding the 
appliance standards program. On March 19-20, 1996, the Department held 
a workshop to discuss the initial findings from these meetings and 
interviews. Discussion topics included the planning and prioritization 
process, data collection and analysis, and decision making criteria. On 
June 14, 1996, the Department held the first prioritization public 
workshop to discuss criteria to be used in planning and prioritizing 
future rules. On July 15, 1996, DOE issued 10 CFR Part 430 Procedures 
for Consideration of New or Revised Energy Conservation Standards for 
Consumer Products final rule (interpretive rule) resulting from the 
process improvement effort.
    The establishment of an Advisory Committee was one of the primary 
recommendations of this effort. The Committee will serve to improve the 
quality of the Appliance Energy Efficiency Standards rulemaking process 
and serve as a vehicle for evaluation and refinement of the appliance 
standards rulemaking process. The Committee will provide an official, 
organized forum for a diverse set of interested stakeholders to provide 
the Department with advice, information, and recommendations on the 
appliance standards rulemaking process. Some of the major objectives of 
the process improvement are to seek early involvement of stakeholders, 
increase predictability of the rulemaking timetable, increase use of 
technically adept individuals, eliminate impractical or problematic 
designs early in the process, consider alternatives to standards, 
support consensus rulemaking, reduce the time and cost of developing 
standards, and enhance the analysis of the standards' impacts.
    The Committee will evaluate the development, implementation, and 
workability of the new rulemaking process. The Committee will serve as 
the focal point for discussion of the desirability of making changes to 
the procedures, interpretations, and policies set out in the 
interpretative rule and on cross cutting analytical issues affecting 
all product standards.
    The Committee members were chosen to ensure an appropriately 
balanced membership to bring into account a diversity of viewpoints, 
including representatives from manufacturer trade associations, energy 
conservation advocates, utilities, state energy offices, consumers, and 
others who may significantly contribute to the deliberations of the 
committee.
    The first advisory committee meeting will be professionally 
facilitated. Copies of the draft agenda are available upon request by 
calling one of the individuals listed below.
    A copy of the workshop transcript will be available in the DOE 
public reading room approximately 10 days after the workshop.
    Please notify either Kathi Epping, [phone], or Sandy Beall, 
[phone] of your intention to attend the advisory committee 
meeting.

    Issued in Washington, DC, December 11, 1996.
Brian T. Castelli,
Chief of Staff, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 96-31962 Filed 12-16-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P