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Finding of No Significant Impact Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products

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 [Federal Register: January 22, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 14)]
[Notices]
[Page 7201]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22ja01-257]

[[Page 7201]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy


Finding of No Significant Impact Energy Conservation Program for
Consumer Products

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for Energy
Conservation Standard for Residential Central Air Conditioners and Heat
Pumps.

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SUMMARY: The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended by the
National Energy Conservation Policy Act and the National Appliance
Energy Conservation Act, and the National Appliance Energy Conservation
Amendments, prescribes energy conservation standards for certain major
household appliances, and requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to
administer an energy conservation program for these products. Based on
an Environmental Assessment (EA), DOE/EA-1352, DOE has determined that
the adoption of energy efficiency Trial Standard Level (TSL) 4 for
residential central air conditioners and heat pumps, as adopted by the
Final Rule entitled the ``Energy Conservation Program for Consumer
Products: Residential Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps Energy
Conservation Standards,'' would not be a major Federal action
significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the
meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA).
Therefore, an environmental impact statement (EIS) is not required, and
the Department is issuing this finding of no significant impact
(FONSI).

ADDRESSES: Public Availability: Copies of the EA are available from:
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy, Forrestal Building, Mail Station EE-41, 1000 Independence
Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C., 20585-0121, (202) 586-9127.

FOR FURTHER PROGRAM INFORMATION CONTACT:  Dr. Michael E. McCabe, Office
of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE-41), U.S. Department of
Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20585-0121,
(202) 586-9127.
    For Further Information Regarding the DOE NEPA Process, Contact:
Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-
42), 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20585-0119, (202)
586-4600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Description of the Proposed Action: The proposed action is the
establishment of a revised energy conservation standard (TSL 4) for
residential central air conditioners and heat pumps.
    Environmental Impacts: The EA evaluates the environmental impacts
of a range of new energy conservation standards for residential central
air conditioners and heat pumps. The results are presented for each
potential trial standard level. Each potential trial standard level is
an alternative action, and the environmental impacts of each
alternative are compared to what would be expected to happen if no new
standard were adopted, i.e., the ``no action'' alternative.
    The main environmental impact is decreased emissions from fossil-
fueled electricity generation. All of the minimum efficiency levels
considered for this appliance product category would result in
decreased electricity use and, therefore, a reduction in power plant
emissions. The proposed efficiency standard would generally decrease
air pollution by decreasing future energy demand. The environmental
analysis considers two pollutants, nitrogen oxides ( NOX)
and sulfur dioxide (SO2), and one emission, carbon. The
Department, in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, proposed TSL 3.
However, in the Final Rule, DOE is adopting TSL 4, an alternative that
was also analyzed in the EA. The results of the analysis show an
estimated cumulative reduction of 27.7 to 32.7 million tons of carbon
equivalent emissions, and 84.4 to 93.8 thousand tons NOX for
TSLs 3 and 4, respectively, through the year 2020. This would be a
national reduction of 0.19% and 0.23% of carbon equivalent emissions,
and 0.08% and 0.09% of NOX. Because emissions of
SO2 from power plants are capped by clean air legislation,
physical emissions of this pollutant from electricity generation will
be only minimally affected by residential central air conditioners and
heat pumps standards. The maximum SO2 allowed by law will
most likely still be produced, but because SO2 emissions are
traded, and if SO2 emissions are lowered due to less power
generation, then the cost of SO2 emission credits may
decrease slightly. Therefore, the EA did not consider changes in power
sector SO2 emissions because they will be negligible.
    Determination: Based upon the EA, DOE has determined that the
adoption of the proposed energy-efficiency standard for residential
central air conditioners and heat pumps would not constitute a major
Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human
environment, within the meaning of NEPA. Therefore, an EIS is not
required, and the Department is issuing this FONSI.

    Issued in Washington, D.C., the 4th day, of January 2001.
Dan W. Reicher,
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 01-1791 Filed 1-18-01; 11:30 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P

 
 

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