DOE has published a Federal Register notice delaying the effective date of a recently published final rule amending the test procedures for small electric motors and electric motors. DOE also seeks comment on any further delay of the effective date, including the impacts of such delay, as well comment on the legal, factual, or policy issues raised by the rule.

• The effective dates of the final rule published January 4, 2021, at 86 FR 4, and the accompanying correction published January 15, 2021, at 86 FR 3747, are delayed to March 21, 2021.

DOE has published a Final Determination pertaining to small electric motors. The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended (EPCA), prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including small electric motors (“SEMs”). EPCA also requires DOE to periodically determine whether more-stringent standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified, and would result in significant conservation of energy. In this final determination, DOE has determined that more stringent SEMs standards would not be cost effective, and thus has determined that standards for SEMs should not be amended.

• The effective date of this final determination is January 19, 2021.

DOE has published a Federal Register Final Rule pertaining to test procedure for Small Electric Motors and Electric Motors. In this final rule DOE is further harmonizing its test procedures with industry practice by updating a currently incorporated testing standard to reference that standard's latest version, incorporating a new industry testing standard that manufacturers would be permitted to use in addition to those industry standards currently incorporated by reference, and harmonizing certain test conditions with current industry standards to improve the comparability of test results for small electric motors. None of these changes would affect the measured average full-load efficiency of small electric motors or the measured nominal full-load efficiency of electric motors when compared to the current test procedures.

• The effective date of this rule is February 3, 2021.
• The final rule changes will be mandatory for product testing starting July 6, 2021.
• The incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in the rule is approved by the Director of the Federal Register on February 3, 2021.
• The incorporation by reference of certain other publications listed in this rulemaking was approved by the Director of the Federal Register on June 4, 2012.

On April 30, 2020, DOE published in the Federal Register a notification of proposed determination and request for comment regarding energy conservation standards for small electric motors. 85 FR 24146. DOE has now published a notice announcing that a webinar will be held regarding this proposed determination and that the comment period is re-opened to accept additional written comments. 85 FR 58299.

• Frequently Asked Questions on the notice of proposed determination pertaining to Small Electric Motors.

DOE has published a Federal Register notice announcing a final determination classifying North Carolina Advanced Energy Corporation as a nationally recognized certification program for electric motors and small electric motors.

• This final determination is effective July 6, 2020.

DOE has published a Federal Register notice of proposed determination pertaining to standards for small electric motors. The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, as amended, prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including small electric motors. EPCA also requires the Secretary of Energy to periodically determine whether more-stringent, amended standards would be technologically feasible and cost effective, and would result in significant conservation of energy. DOE has tentatively determined that more stringent small electric motors standards would not be cost effective, and, thus, is not proposing to amend its energy conservation standards for this equipment.

• Frequently Asked Questions on the notice of proposed determination pertaining to Small Electric Motors.

DOE has published a Federal Register notice that announces an interim determination classifying North Carolina Advanced Energy Corporation as a nationally recognized certification program under DOE's regulations regarding recognition of nationally recognized certification programs and procedures for recognition and withdrawal of recognition of accreditation bodies and certification programs for electric and small electric motors.

Notice of Petition

DOE has published a Federal Register notice of petition and request for comment pertaining to a petition received from North Carolina Advanced Energy Corporation Efficiency Verification Services seeking classification as a nationally recognized certification program. The petition includes documentation to help substantiate the company’s position that its certification program for electric motors and small electric motors satisfies the evaluation criteria for classification as a nationally recognized certification program.

DOE has published a Federal Register notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) pertaining to the test procedure for small electric motors and other electric motors. In this NOPR, DOE proposes to further harmonize it's procedures with industry practice by incorporating a new industry standard - IEC 60034-2-1:2014 - that manufacturers would be permitted to use as an alternative to the existing industry standards that are already incorporated by reference as options to use when testing small electric motor and electric motor efficiency.

The docket EERE-2017-BT-TP-0047 contains all notices, public comments, and supporting documents pertaining to this rulemaking.

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Certification, Compliance, Labeling, and Enforcement

DOE is currently undertaking a rulemaking to revise its certification, compliance, and enforcement regulations for electric motors and small electric motors to conform to the enforcement regulations for all other covered products and equipment and to consolidate, to the extent possible, the certification and compliance regulations for electric motors and small electric motors with those for other types of covered products and equipment.

The Certification, Compliance, Labeling, and Enforcement for Electric Motors and Small Electric Motors rulemaking docket EERE-2014-BT-CE-0019 contains all notices, public comments, public meeting transcripts, and supporting documents pertaining to this rulemaking.

Public Meeting Information

There is no public meeting scheduled at this time.

Submitting Public Comments

The comment period is closed.

RELATED DOCUMENTS

For the latest information on the planned timing of future DOE regulatory milestones, see the current Office of Management and Budget Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions.  All planned dates are preliminary and subject to change.

Small electric motors manufactured and distributed in commerce, as defined by 42 U.S.C. 6291(16), must meet the energy conservation standards specified in the Code of Federal Regulations at 10 CFR 431.446 through 431.448.

Manufacturers must follow the test procedure methods specified in 10 CFR 431.443 through 431.445 to determine that electric motors that are currently manufactured or distributed into commerce are in compliance with DOE standards.