98-5084. Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Cooking Products (Kitchen Ranges and Ovens) Energy Conservation Standards  

  • [Federal Register Volume 63, Number 39 (Friday, February 27, 1998)]
    [Proposed Rules]
    [Pages 9975-9977]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 98-5084]
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
    
    Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
    
    10 CFR Part 430
    
    [Docket Numbers EE-RM-93-201 and EE-RM-S-97-700]
    RIN 1904-AA84
    
    
    Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Cooking 
    Products (Kitchen Ranges and Ovens) Energy Conservation Standards
    
    AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, DOE.
    
    ACTION: Notice of limited reopening of the record and opportunity for 
    public comment.
    
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    SUMMARY: The Department of Energy reopens the record of its rulemaking 
    to revise energy conservation standards for cooking products under the 
    Energy Policy and Conservation Act for the following classes: Gas 
    cooktops, gas ovens, and electric non-self-cleaning ovens. This notice 
    provides an opportunity for public comment regarding supplemental 
    analyses on the potential impact of alternative efficiency levels, 
    written comments on these analyses, new factual information, and the 
    principal policy options now under consideration.
    
    DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 30, 1998.
    
    ADDRESSES: A copy of the 1996 Draft Report on the Potential Impact of 
    Alternative Energy Efficiency Levels for Residential Cooking Products 
    (Draft Report), supplemental analysis, and other post comment period 
    correspondence is available for public inspection and copying at the 
    Freedom of Information Reading Room, U.S. Department of Energy, 
    Forrestal Building, Room 1E-190, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 
    Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-7574, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 
    p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
        Written comments are welcome. Please submit 10 copies (no faxes) 
    to: Kathi Epping, U. S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy 
    Efficiency and Renewable Energy, ``Energy Conservation Program for 
    Consumer Products: Cooking Products, Docket No. EE-RM-S-97-700'', EE-
    43, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathi Epping, U.S. Department of 
    Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, EE-43, 1000 
    Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121, (202) 586-7425, or 
    Eugene Margolis, Esq., U.S. Department of Energy, Office of General 
    Counsel, GC-72, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, 
    (202) 586-9507.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 325 of the Energy Policy 
    and Conservation Act (EPCA), 42 U.S.C. 6295, the Department of Energy 
    (DOE) proposed to revise the energy conservation standards applicable 
    to cooking products, as well as a variety of other consumer products. 
    59 FR 10464 (March 4, 1994). Cooking products include conventional 
    ranges, cooktops, and ovens and microwave ovens. Section 325(o)(2) 
    requires that any amended standard be designed to achieve the maximum 
    improvement in energy efficiency that is technologically feasible and 
    economically justified. 42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(2). DOE proposed performance 
    standards for all conventional ovens and cooktops and microwave ovens.
        DOE held public hearings and received 59 comments on its proposed 
    revisions to the cooking products energy conservation standards. After 
    reviewing the comments, DOE concluded that a number of significant 
    issues had been raised that required additional analysis. DOE also 
    decided to separate the rulemaking on cooking products from the 
    rulemakings for the other consumer products covered by the notice of 
    proposed rulemaking.
        The Department, in response to comments on the proposed rule, 
    prepared a Draft Report containing DOE's revised analysis examining 
    five alternative efficiency levels. The Draft Report indicated that 
    standards based on the described venting and insulating improvements to 
    non-self-cleaning conventional electric ovens and eliminating standing 
    pilot lights for non-self-cleaning conventional gas ovens and 
    conventional gas cooktops could be determined to be technologically 
    feasible and economically justified and to save significant energy. The 
    analysis did not support any new or more stringent
    
    [[Page 9976]]
    
    efficiency standard for any other cooking products.
        On May 5, 1996, DOE distributed a copy of the Draft Report to 
    interested parties including all of the commenters on the proposed rule 
    on cooking products. (EE-RM-S-97-700, No. 1 and No. 2.) The Department 
    invited comment on the Draft Report by no later than July 1, 1996. A 
    copy of the cover letter and the Draft Report has been added to the 
    record on file for inspection in the DOE Freedom of Information Reading 
    Room.
        In commenting on the 1994 proposed rule, AHAM argued that standards 
    are not warranted for any product, though AHAM proposed that, if a 
    standard is set, DOE should adopt a prescriptive design standard 
    prohibiting standing pilot lights on conventional gas ranges in lieu of 
    all performance standards proposed for cooking products. Significant 
    energy savings, consistency with current standards, minimal design 
    change, and no compliance program were cited as benefits. AHAM also 
    commented that eliminating standing pilot lights could 
    disproportionately affect low-income and rural consumers. (EE-RM-93-
    201, No. 1.)
        On April 23, 1996, the American Council for an Energy Efficient 
    Economy (ACEEE) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) sent a 
    letter to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) 
    stating their support for a prescriptive design standard banning pilot 
    lights from all conventional gas ranges. (EE-RM-S-97-700, No. 3.)
        DOE received three comments on the Draft Report. NRDC recommended 
    banning all standing pilot lights. In addition to cost effective energy 
    savings, NRDC emphasized the health and safety benefits which would 
    result from banning pilot lights. (EE-RM-S-97-700, No. 4.)
        Betty Crocker expressed concern over the impact of standards for 
    consumers. Betty Crocker expressed concern about the maintenance 
    required for electric coil cooktop reflective pans and commented that 
    an oven separator would have low consumer acceptance. (EE-RM-S-97-700, 
    No. 5.) The results of the Draft Report indicated that neither of these 
    design options were economically justified.
        Whirlpool stated that none of the proposed design options are 
    economically justified, several of the design options lessen consumer 
    utility, and the energy use by ranges and ovens has declined 
    significantly over the past two years. In addition, Whirlpool stated 
    that the cost of compliance testing for any performance standard would 
    offset the potential energy savings. Whirlpool did not discuss 
    prescriptive design standards such as the elimination of pilot lights 
    for gas products. (EE-RM-S-97-700, No. 6.)
        Based on the analysis in the Draft Report and the comments 
    received, the Department is inclined to believe the record is complete 
    with respect to microwave ovens, electric self-cleaning ovens, and 
    electric cooktops. The analysis in the Draft Report indicates that 
    establishing new or revised standards for these types of cooking 
    products is not economically justified. For example, the analysis for 
    microwave ovens indicated paybacks exceeding the 10-year product life, 
    increased life-cycle costs, and a negative net present value. Based on 
    the consideration of this analysis, the Department does not expect to 
    establish new or revised standards for these products in this 
    rulemaking.
        In addition, the analysis in the Draft Report and the comments 
    received prompted further examination of gas cooktops, gas ovens, and 
    electric non-self-cleaning ovens. DOE prepared an analysis to 
    supplement the Draft Report that focuses exclusively on the possible 
    elimination of standing pilot lights for gas products and improving 
    non-self-cleaning conventional electric ovens by venting and insulating 
    them like self-cleaning electric ovens. The supplemental analysis uses 
    the latest available data from AHAM regarding the trends over time of 
    shares of sales of non-self-cleaning conventional ovens and gas 
    products with pilot lights. It also uses the latest utility price 
    forecasts from the Annual Energy Outlook of the Energy Information 
    Administration, AEO 97, and the Gas Research Institute, GRI 97. A copy 
    of the supplemental analysis has been added to the record on file for 
    inspection in the DOE Freedom of Information Reading Room, and DOE is 
    sending a copy to all commenters on the proposed rule for cooking 
    products. (EE-RM-S-97-700, No. 7.)
        The Department's supplemental analysis indicates that extending the 
    statutory prescriptive design standard banning standing pilot lights to 
    cover all conventional gas ranges would be technically feasible and 
    economically justified and would result in significant energy savings. 
    The current statutory standard bans pilot lights for gas kitchen ranges 
    and ovens equipped with an electric cord. Some consumers would need to 
    add an electrical outlet to accommodate electrical service to a 
    conventional gas range. While it is unknown what percent of homes do 
    not have electrical outlets available, based on the limited data 
    available, the Department believes that this percentage would be small. 
    In those homes where an electrical outlet is available, the estimated 
    first-cost increase to consumers for conventional gas ranges is $37, 
    with life-cycle cost savings of $91-$104 and paybacks of 2.9-3.2 years. 
    In those homes where an outlet needs to be added, the additional $90 
    cost of installing a new outlet 1 almost negates the 
    savings. In homes where an electric outlet is not available, the total 
    cost increase of $127, for conventional gas ranges, would result in 
    life-cycle cost savings of $1-$14 with paybacks of 10-11 years.
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        \1\ The $90 estimate for adding an electrical outlet comes from 
    a GRI report submitted by AHAM as a comment. It was derived from an 
    informal survey of electricians to install an outlet accessible to a 
    gas water heater and is comprised of $50 parts and labor and $40 for 
    a service call.
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        The impacts are more substantial for separate conventional gas 
    cooktops and ovens. For separate conventional gas cooktops, the cost 
    increase is $116, resulting in a life-cycle cost increase of $41-48 and 
    paybacks of 17-19 years. For separate conventional gas ovens, the cost 
    increase of $113 results in a life-cycle cost increase of $68-$75 and 
    paybacks of 27-32 years. Thus, the Department believes extending the 
    ban to these separate products is not economically justified. Based on 
    AHAM shipment data, the Department estimates the percent of separate 
    conventional gas cooktops and separate conventional gas ovens with 
    standing pilot lights to be approximately 3 and 0 percent, 
    respectively, by the year 2000. Therefore, a standard extending the 
    prohibition of standing pilot lights to include separate gas cooktops 
    and ovens in addition to ranges results in very little incremental 
    energy savings. Permitting separate conventional gas cooktops and ovens 
    to use pilot lights could also accommodate special circumstances where 
    electrical service is not practically available. Based on AHAM's 
    comments regarding the elimination of pilot lights and the fact that no 
    testing program would be required to implement such a prescriptive 
    design standard, the Department believes that there would not be any 
    significant adverse impacts on manufacturers. Given the analysis and 
    public comments to date, the Department expects to extend the 
    prescriptive design standard prohibiting standing pilot lights to all 
    conventional gas ranges but not to include the extension to separate 
    conventional gas cooktops and ovens without an electrical cord.
        The Department's supplemental analysis indicates that establishing
    
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    standards for electric non-self-cleaning ovens could be technically 
    feasible and could save significant energy. However, because ovens are 
    not tested currently and therefore performance data on specific ovens 
    does not exist, it is unknown whether all non-self-cleaning electric 
    ovens, if insulated and vented as their self-cleaning counterparts, 
    would meet a specific performance standard. Consequently, there is a 
    risk that in order to bring some electric non-self-cleaning ovens into 
    compliance with a performance standard, manufacturers would need to use 
    additional design options. The analysis found no other design options 
    for either gas or electric ovens to be cost effective. Thus, the 
    Department does not expect to establish performance standards for any 
    cooking products including non-self-cleaning electric ovens.
        The Department is changing the name for this rulemaking from 
    ``kitchen ranges and ovens'' to ``cooking products.'' This change is 
    made because the term ``kitchen ranges and ovens'' does not accurately 
    describe the products considered which include conventional ranges, 
    cooktops and ovens and microwave ovens. To be consistent with this 
    change, the Department expects to add a regulatory definition of 
    ``cooking products'' that is the same as the existing definition of 
    ``kitchen ranges and ovens.''
        The Department solicits public comment on the supplemental analysis 
    and its implications for this rulemaking, specifically with regard to 
    the extension of the prohibition on standing pilot lights.
    
        Issued in Washington, DC, on January 26, 1998.
    Dan W. Reicher,
    Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
    [FR Doc. 98-5084 Filed 2-26-98; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
    
    
    

Document Information

Comments Received:
0 Comments
Published:
02/27/1998
Department:
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office
Entry Type:
Proposed Rule
Action:
Notice of limited reopening of the record and opportunity for public comment.
Document Number:
98-5084
Dates:
Comments must be received on or before March 30, 1998.
Pages:
9975-9977 (3 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Docket Numbers EE-RM-93-201 and EE-RM-S-97-700
RINs:
1904-AA84: Energy Efficiency Standards for Kitchen Ranges, Ovens and Microwave Ovens
RIN Links:
https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/1904-AA84/energy-efficiency-standards-for-kitchen-ranges-ovens-and-microwave-ovens
PDF File:
98-5084.pdf
CFR: (1)
10 CFR 430