On Sept. 2, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a pre-publication Federal Register supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNOPR) pertaining to residential furnaces. In this SNOPR, DOE proposes amended energy conservation standards for residential non-weatherized gas furnaces and mobile home gas furnaces. The notice also requests comment on the SNOPR’s proposed standards and associated analyses and results, and it proposes clarifications to the certification and reporting requirements. The new proposed standards are as follows:

These proposed standards, if adopted, would apply to all NWGFs and MHGFs listed in Table I.1 and Table I.2 manufactured in, or imported into, the United States starting on the date 5 years after the publication of the final rule for this rulemaking. 

DOE will hold a public meeting Monday, Oct. 17, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at DOE's Forrestal Building in Washington, District of Columbia. To attend the public meeting, contact the Appliance and Equipment Program Staff at (202) 586-6636 or Appliance_Standards_Public_Meetings@ee.doe.gov. To register for the webinar click here. The comment period closes 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. Find more information on the rulemaking, including statutory authority, current standards, and test procedures, waivers, exceptions, exemptions, and contact information, click here. All notices, public comments, public meeting transcripts, and supporting documents associated with this rulemaking are included in Docket No. EERE–2014–BT–STD–0031.