DOE's October 28, 2016 direct final rule for miscellaneous refrigeration products contained more than one future date. February 27, 2017 was the stated effective date, conditional on the adverse-comment process. February 15 was the deadline for adverse comments; DOE would withdraw the rule if qualifying comments supplied a reasonable basis for doing so. October 28, 2019 was the standards-compliance date. [2016-24759]

A separate rule published July 18, 2016 addressed coverage, definitions and test procedures. It covered a group including wine chillers and beverage coolers, rather than simply imposing the October standards on all refrigerators. Its stated effective date was August 17, 2016, except that 10 CFR 429.14(c)(2) and (3) were stayed indefinitely pending a later announcement. [2016-14389]

The July rule also specified January 17, 2017 for mandatory use of its test-procedure changes in representations of energy use, subject to the exceptions noted in the freezer, refrigerator and refrigerator-freezer definitions in 10 CFR 430.2. That representations date was not the October rule's later standards-compliance date. Combining the calendars would obscure which obligation each date described. [2016-14389]

The distinction is between defining and measuring a product category, setting conservation standards, and making those requirements operative. As of this historical coverage date, the October rule's conditional route remained part of the published action; no later result is assumed here. Both retained texts are DOE primary documents in one policy chain. They establish the published schedules, not independent evidence that products or manufacturers had already met the new standards. [2016-24759][2016-14389]

Source documents

  1. Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Miscellaneous Refrigeration Productshttps://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2016-10-28/html/2016-24759.htm
  2. Final Coverage Determination; Test Procedures for Miscellaneous Refrigeration Productshttps://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2016-07-18/html/2016-14389.htm