U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Building Technologies Program – Appliances and Commercial Equipment Standards

Distribution Transformers

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) of 1975 established an energy conservation program for major household appliances. The National Energy Conservation Policy Act of 1978 amended EPCA to add Part C of Title III, which established an energy conservation program for certain industrial equipment. The Energy Policy Act of 1992 amended EPCA to add certain commercial equipment, including distribution transformers.

The Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Program conducts the program that develops equipment energy conservation standards and has overall responsibility for rulemaking activities for distribution transformers in fulfillment of the law.

The U.S. Department of Energy has published the final rule for the Distribution Transformers Energy Conservation Standard Rulemaking, 72 FR 58190 (October 12, 2007). The Department has determined that energy conservation standards for liquid-immersed and medium-voltage, dry-type distribution transformers will result in significant conservation of energy, are technologically feasible, and are economically justified.

Some of the following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.

Energy Conservation Standard

• Final Rule
• Notice of Data Availability (PDF 154 KB)
• Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR)
• Draft Analyses for NOPR (August 5, 2005)
• Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
• Draft Analyses Published
• Framework Document (PDF 108 KB)

September 28, 2006, email message to all Distribution Transformer stakeholders (PDF 18 KB)

Test Procedure

• Technical Correction to the Test Procedures for Distribution Transformers Final Rule, Federal Register, October 16, 2006 (PDF 65 KB)
• Paperwork Reduction Action Submission Pertaining to Test Procedures for Distribution Transformers Final Rule, October 13, 2006 (PDF 60 KB)
• Final Rule Test Procedures for Distribution Transformers, Federal Register, April 27, 2006 (PDF 808 KB)
• Proposed Information Collection, Federal Register, April 27, 2006 (PDF 49 KB)
• Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
• Notice of Limited Reopening of the Record for Test Procedures for Distribution Transformers, June 23, 1999
• Proposed Rule Test Procedures, November 12, 1998

Determination Analysis

• Notice and Supporting Documentation

Public Meetings and Meeting Materials

• Energy Conservation Standard ANOPR Public Meeting
• Energy Conservation Standard ANOPR Internet Webcast
• Test Procedure SNOPR Public Meeting
• Framework Document Public Meeting

Contact Information

Jim Raba
Project Manager
(202) 586-8654