1904-AD91 202410 The Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions 1904 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy EE 1900 Department of Energy DOE Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Water Heaters

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended (EPCA), prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including consumer water heaters. EPCA also requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to periodically determine whether more stringent standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified, and would result in significant energy savings. In the final rule, DOE has adopted amended energy conservation standards for consumer water heaters, except for gas-fired instantaneous water heaters (GIWHs). DOE has determined that the new and amended energy conservation standards for these products would result in significant conservation of energy, and are technologically feasible and economically justified. DOE is still considering amended energy conservation standards for GIWHs and will continue to consider comments submitted previously to inform any decision on amended standards.

]]> Section 3(f)(1) Significant Previously Published in The Unified Agenda Final Rule Stage Yes Private Sector 10 CFR 430 42 U.S.C. 6295(m)(1) Statutory Other Subject to 6-year-look-back in 42 U.S.C. 6295(m)(1) Yes

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act requires minimum energy efficiency standards for certain appliances and commercial equipment, including consumer water heaters. (42 U.S.C. 6292(a)(4))

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Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), Pub. L. 94-163 (42 U.S.C. 6291-6309, as codified), established the Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products Other Than Automobiles. Pursuant to EPCA, any new or amended energy conservation standard that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) prescribes for certain products, such as consumer water heaters, shall be designed to achieve the maximum improvement in energy efficiency that is technologically feasible and economically justified (42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(2)(A)) and to result in a significant conservation of energy (42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(3)(B)). EPCA provides that not later the six years after the issuance of any final rule establishing or amending a standard, DOE must publish either a notice of determination that standards for the product do not need to be amended, or a notice of proposed rulemaking including new proposed energy conservation standards (proceeding to a final rule, as appropriate). (42 U.S.C. 6295(m)(1))

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The statute requires DOE to conduct rulemakings to review standards and to revise standards to achieve the maximum improvement in energy efficiency that the Secretary determines is technologically feasible and economically justified. In making this determination, DOE conducts a thorough analysis of alternative standard levels, including the existing standard, based on the criteria specified in the statute.

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DOE finds that the benefits to the Nation of the proposed energy conservation standards for Consumer Water Heaters (such as energy savings, consumer average life-cycle cost savings, an increase in national net present value, and emissions reductions) outweigh the burdens (such as loss of industry net present value). For consumer water heaters, DOE estimates that energy savings (in terms of uniform energy factor (UEF)) will be 27 quads over 30 years and that the cumulative net present value (NPV) of total consumer benefits of the proposed standards for consumer water heaters will be between $56 billion at a 7-percent discount rate and $161 billion at a 3-percent discount rate.

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]]> Request for Information (RFI) 05/21/2020 85 FR 30853 RFI Comment Period End 07/06/2020 Notice of Webinar and Availability of Preliminary Technical Support Document 03/01/2022 87 FR 11327 Public Meeting 04/12/2022 Preliminary Technical Support Document Comment Period End 05/02/2022 RFI Comment Period Reopened 05/04/2022 87 FR 26303 RFI Comment Period Reopened End 05/16/2022 NPRM 07/28/2023 88 FR 49058 Public Meeting 09/13/2023 NPRM Comment Period End 09/26/2023 Supplemental NPRM 12/27/2023 88 FR 89330 Supplemental NPRM Comment Period End 01/10/2024 Final Action 05/06/2024 89 FR 37778 Final Action Effective 07/05/2024 Final Action 12/00/2024 YES Businesses None No Undetermined Yes No 1904-AF65 Related to Julia Hegarty 1900 Department of Energy DOE 240 597-6737 julia.hegarty@ee.doe.gov 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington DC 20585