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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is considering updates to its test procedure waiver decision-making process to require that after DOE publishes in the Federal Register a waiver to a manufacturer for a product employing a particular technology or having a particular characteristic, other manufacturers currently distributing in commerce in the United States a product or equipment employing a technology or characteristic that requires the same need for a waiver submit a petition for waiver within 120 days, as opposed to the 60-day period currently set forth in DOE’s regulations.  DOE also proposes such a petition for waiver be deemed granted unless, within 30 days of receipt of the application, the Department notifies, in writing, any such applicant that the request has been denied because the particular technology or characteristic of the applicant’s product is materially different than the initially granted waiver.  Should DOE fail to satisfy this requirement, the request for a waiver would be deemed granted for the same reasons DOE specified in the previous adjudication of the issues presented by the particular technology or characteristic in the initially published waiver decision.