83_FR_38223 83 FR 38073 - Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Manufactured Housing

83 FR 38073 - Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Manufactured Housing

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 150 (August 3, 2018)

Page Range38073-38080
FR Document2018-16650

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is announcing this notice of data availability (``NODA'') and soliciting public input regarding data relating to certain aspects in developing energy conservation standards for manufactured housing. These data are likely to help serve as support for DOE's further refinement of certain aspects of its proposed standards for these structures. They may also serve as the basis for DOE's restructuring of its approach in laying out the framework for standards that would apply to manufactured housing. DOE is seeking comment on these data along with several options that it is currently considering that could form an alternative basis for regulating the energy efficiency of manufactured housing. DOE also seeks any additional information that might further inform the agency's views regarding the manner in which to regulate these structures.

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 150 (Friday, August 3, 2018)
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 150 (Friday, August 3, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 38073-38080]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16650]


========================================================================
Proposed Rules
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.

========================================================================


Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 150 / Friday, August 3, 2018 / 
Proposed Rules

[[Page 38073]]



DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Part 460

[EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021]
RIN 1904-AC11


Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for 
Manufactured Housing

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of 
Energy.

ACTION: Notice of data availability; request for information.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is announcing this notice 
of data availability (``NODA'') and soliciting public input regarding 
data relating to certain aspects in developing energy conservation 
standards for manufactured housing. These data are likely to help serve 
as support for DOE's further refinement of certain aspects of its 
proposed standards for these structures. They may also serve as the 
basis for DOE's restructuring of its approach in laying out the 
framework for standards that would apply to manufactured housing. DOE 
is seeking comment on these data along with several options that it is 
currently considering that could form an alternative basis for 
regulating the energy efficiency of manufactured housing. DOE also 
seeks any additional information that might further inform the agency's 
views regarding the manner in which to regulate these structures.

DATES: Written comments and information are requested and will be 
accepted on or before September 17, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are encouraged to submit comments using 
the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the instructions for submitting comments. Alternatively, interested 
persons may submit comments, identified by docket number EERE-2009-BT-
BC-0021, by any of the following methods:
    1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the instructions for submitting comments.
    2. Email: to [email protected]. Include EERE-2009-BT-
BC-0021 in the subject line of the message.
    3. Postal Mail: Appliance and Equipment Standards Program, U.S. 
Department of Energy, Building Technologies Office, Mailstop EE-5B, 
1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. If possible, 
please submit all items on a compact disc (CD), in which case it is not 
necessary to include printed copies.
    4. Hand Delivery/Courier: Appliance and Equipment Standards 
Program, U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technologies Office, 950 
L'Enfant Plaza SW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20024. Telephone: (202) 
287-1445. If possible, please submit all items on a CD, in which case 
it is not necessary to include printed copies.
    No telefacsimilies (faxes) will be accepted. For detailed 
instructions on submitting comments and additional information on the 
rulemaking process, see section III of this document.
    Docket: The docket for this activity, which includes Federal 
Register notices, comments, and other supporting documents/materials, 
is available for review at http://www.regulations.gov. All documents in 
the docket are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index. However, 
some documents listed in the index, such as those containing 
information that is exempt from public disclosure, may not be publicly 
available.
    The docket web page can be found at https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021. The docket web page contains simple 
instructions on how to access all documents, including public comments, 
in the docket. See section III for information on how to submit 
comments through http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    Ms. Sofie Miller, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Office, EE-5B, 
1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: 
(202) 287-1943. Email: [email protected].
    Mr. Michael Kido, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General 
Counsel, GC-33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. 
Telephone: (202) 586-8145. Email: [email protected].
    For further information on how to submit a comment or review other 
public comments and the docket, contact the Appliance and Equipment 
Standards Program staff at (202) 287-1445 or by email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents

I. Introduction
    A. Authority and Background
    B. Rulemaking History
II. Request for Information
    A. June 2016 Proposal's Analytical Assumptions
    B. Ownership-Related Costs
    C. Prescriptive and Performance-Based Standards
    D. Alternative Approaches
    E. Compliance Lead-Times
III. Submission of Comments

I. Introduction

    Manufactured housing comprises a housing category that consists of 
structures constructed in a factory, built on a permanent chassis, and 
transportable in one or more sections that are then erected on-site. 
See 24 CFR 3280.2 This type of housing has traditionally been regulated 
by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (``HUD''), which has 
regulated these structures with the purpose of reducing personal 
injuries, deaths, property damage, and insurance costs, and to improve 
the quality, durability, safety, and affordability of these homes. See 
42 U.S.C. 5401(b). Consistent with its statutory authority, HUD has 
created a comprehensive regulatory framework to address a variety of 
aspects related to these structures, including certain elements related 
to their energy efficiency. See, e.g. 24 CFR 3280.507(a) (specifying 
thermal insulation requirements) and 24 CFR 3280.508(d) (detailing 
requirements related to the installation of high-efficiency heating and 
cooling equipment in manufactured homes). HUD's standards are 
preemptive nationwide and differ from standards developed under the 
auspices of (and published by) the International Code Council 
(``ICC''). The ICC standards,

[[Page 38074]]

known as the International Energy Conservation Code (``IECC''), have 
been adopted by many state and local governments in establishing 
minimum design and construction requirements for the energy efficiency 
of residential and commercial buildings. However, due to the preemptive 
nature of HUD's standards, the ICC standards are not currently applied 
to manufactured housing. Consistent with this approach and Federal law, 
DOE is tasked with evaluating whether the adoption of standards based 
on the most recent version of the IECC would satisfy the applicable 
statutory requirements.

A. Authority and Background

    Section 413 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, 
Public Law 110-140 (December 19, 2007) (``EISA'') requires DOE to 
establish by regulation standards for the energy efficiency of 
manufactured housing. See 42 U.S.C. 17071(a)(1). Prior to establishing 
these regulations, DOE must satisfy two conditions--(1) provide 
manufacturers and other interested parties with notice and an 
opportunity for comment and (2) consult with the Secretary of HUD, who 
may then ``seek further counsel from the Manufactured Housing Consensus 
Committee.'' \1\ 42 U.S.C. 17071(a)(2). These standards must generally 
be based on the most recent version of the IECC, except where DOE finds 
that the IECC is not cost effective, or a more stringent standard would 
be more cost effective. A finding that standards based on the IECC are 
not cost effective or that standards more stringent than the IECC are 
cost effective would be based on the impact of the adoption of the IECC 
standards on the purchase price of manufactured housing and on total 
life-cycle construction and operating costs. See 42 U.S.C. 17071(b)(1). 
In establishing its standards, DOE may consider:
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    \1\ HUD describes its Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee 
as ``a statutory Federal Advisory Committee body charged with 
providing recommendations to the Secretary on the revision and 
interpretation of HUD's manufactured home construction and safety 
standards and related procedural and enforcement regulations. The 
[Committee] is charged with developing proposed model installation 
standards for the manufactured housing industry.'' https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/rmra/manufacturedhousings/cc1 
(last accessed on July 9, 2018).
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     The design and factory construction techniques of 
manufactured housing,
     The climate zones established in the U.S. Department of 
Housing and Urban Development's Manufactured Home Construction and 
Safety Standards (``the HUD Code'') rather than the climate zones 
included as part of the IECC, and
     Alternative practices that result in net estimated energy 
consumption equal to or less than the specific IECC standards. See 42 
U.S.C. 17071(b)(2).
    In addition, EISA provides that a manufacturer who violates the 
regulations established by DOE under 42 U.S.C. 17071(a) ``is liable to 
the United States for a civil penalty in an amount not exceeding 1 
percent of the manufacturer's retail list price of the manufactured 
housing.'' See 42 U.S.C. 17071(c).

B. Rulemaking History

    In the years since EISA became law, DOE has undertaken several 
steps down the complex regulatory path of fulfilling Section 413's 
directive for promulgating new regulations under the processes and 
conditions set forth in the statute. After studying the issue, on 
February 22, 2010, DOE published an advanced notice of proposed 
rulemaking and request for comment identifying 13 distinct issues 
concerning energy efficiency in manufactured housing about which it 
sought public input. See Energy Standards for Manufactured Housing, 75 
FR 7556, 7557 (February 22, 2010). After receiving and considering the 
submitted comments, DOE prepared a draft notice of proposed rulemaking 
(``draft NOPR'') and submitted it to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs (``OIRA'') in the Office of Management and Budget 
for review, pursuant to Executive Order 12866. Ultimately, the draft 
NOPR did not clear the OIRA review process, and DOE withdrew it on 
March 13, 2014.\2\
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    \2\ The withdrawn date can be found at https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eoAdvancedSearch and entering ``1904-AC11'' for the RIN 
and checking ``Concluded'' under ``Review Status''. Additionally, 
while the OIRA review was ongoing, on June 25, 2013, DOE published a 
request for information in which it sought additional public input 
regarding four identified issues related to its rulemaking. See 
Energy Efficiency Standards for Manufactured Housing, 78 FR 37995, 
37996-37997 (June 25, 2013).
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    Following the withdrawal of the draft NOPR from OIRA, DOE notified 
the public of its intent to establish a negotiated rulemaking working 
group for manufactured housing. DOE believed that this approach would 
be ``better suited to resolving complex technical issues'' concerning 
the standards, among other benefits. 79 FR 33874 (June 13, 2014). The 
working group was convened and met for a total of 12 days over a three-
month period. See Energy Conservation Program: Energy Efficiency 
Standards for Manufactured Housing, 80 FR 7550, 7551 (February 11, 
2015).\3\ These meetings led to the adoption of a term sheet detailing 
numerous technical recommendations for energy efficiency standards for 
manufactured housing. See Document ID EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021-0107.\4\ 
Also, in accordance with a recommendation from the working group, DOE 
sought further public comment regarding some technical issues that had 
arisen in the rulemaking process. See 80 FR 7551-7553. In addition to 
these extensive efforts to solicit comments from the public and the 
expertise of the working group, DOE also held meetings with HUD 
throughout the regulatory process and engaged in discussions with the 
Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee. See 81 FR 39762-39763, 39765. 
It has also conferred with various other stakeholders. See id. 81 FR 
39763, 39765.
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    \3\ See also Appliance Standards and Rulemaking Federal Advisory 
Committee (ASRAC)--Manufactured Housing Working Group, 79 FR 48097 
(August 15, 2014); Appliance Standards and Rulemaking Federal 
Advisory Committee (ASRAC)--Manufactured Housing Working Group, 79 
FR 59154 (October 1, 2014).
    \4\ Available at: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021-0107.
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    On June 17, 2016, DOE published in the Federal Register a NOPR, 
which, in addition to comprehensively describing DOE's analysis, was 
accompanied by a technical support document detailing DOE's analyses 
supporting that proposal. See 81 FR 39756. See also Document ID EERE-
2009-BT-BC-0021-0136.\5\ The agency also prepared a draft environmental 
assessment pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, on which 
it sought public input, particularly regarding the impacts of the 
proposed standards on the indoor air quality of manufactured homes. See 
Draft Environmental Assessment for Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 
``Energy Conservation Standards for Manufactured Housing'' With Request 
for Information on Impacts to Indoor Air Quality, 81 FR 42576 (June 30, 
2016). DOE received nearly 50 comments on the proposed rule during the 
comment period. After considering those comments, DOE prepared a draft 
final rule governing energy efficiency in manufactured housing and 
submitted it to OIRA for review under Executive Order 12866. OIRA 
received the draft final rule on November 1, 2016.\6\ Again,

[[Page 38075]]

however, DOE's draft final rule did not clear the OIRA review process 
and was withdrawn on January 31, 2017.\7\
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    \5\ Available at: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021-0136.
    \6\ See supra, note 2. On November 9, 2016, DOE also published a 
notice of proposed rulemaking for test procedures, as a companion to 
the draft energy efficiency standards rule for manufactured housing. 
See Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Manufactured 
Housing, 81 FR 78733 (November 9, 2016). Test procedures specify how 
those subject to energy efficiency standards are to confirm products 
are in compliance with such standards.
    \7\ See supra, note 2.
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II. Request for Information

    Since the publication of DOE's proposals, the agency has re-
examined its available data and re-evaluated its approach in developing 
standards for manufactured housing. In particular, HUD made DOE aware 
of the adverse impacts on manufactured housing affordability that would 
likely follow if DOE were to adopt the approach laid out in its June 
2016 proposal. As a result, and in consideration of specific 
suggestions offered by HUD, DOE initiated a review of its data and 
analysis and has begun reconsidering the framework to use in regulating 
these structures. In particular, DOE had previously considered a 
regulatory regime similar to the one it administers with regard to 
appliance and commercial equipment standards, i.e., setting a uniform, 
minimum mandatory level of efficiency that must be achieved by all 
subject products. However, DOE's authority to establish energy 
efficiency standards for appliance standards is separate from its 
authority to establish energy conservation standards for manufactured 
homes. Thus, DOE is examining if it must set a single, mandatory level 
of efficiency. As a result of this re-examination, DOE developed a 
number of alternatives on which it seeks further input from the public. 
These alternatives would facilitate a variety of different levels of 
efficiency. In developing these alternatives, DOE gave careful 
consideration to a variety of factors, including the first-time costs 
related to the purchase of these homes. In the following sections, DOE 
presents a series of issues on which it seeks input to aid in the 
development of the technical and economic analyses regarding each of 
these potential alternatives to the proposed regulatory framework 
contained in DOE's June 2016 standards proposal.
    Additionally, DOE welcomes comments on other issues relevant to the 
conduct of this process that may not specifically be identified in this 
document. In particular, DOE notes that under Executive Order 13771, 
``Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs,'' Executive 
Branch agencies such as DOE are directed to manage the costs associated 
with the imposition of expenditures required to comply with Federal 
regulations. See 82 FR 9339 (February 3, 2017). Consistent with that 
Executive Order, DOE encourages the public to provide input on measures 
DOE could take to lower the cost of its regulations applicable to 
manufactured housing consistent with the requirements of EISA.

A. June 2016 Proposal's Analytical Assumptions

    As with any of its appliance and equipment standards rulemaking 
proposals, DOE made a number of analytical assumptions to determine 
what minimum level of efficiency it should use in establishing 
mandatory energy conservation standards for manufactured housing. These 
assumptions spanned a variety of factors, including affordability, 
which climate zones to use, which solar heat gain coefficient 
(``SHGC'') to use in a given climate zone, the price elasticity value 
to use in DOE's calculation of potential impacts, whether to include 
certification, compliance, and enforcement costs as part of DOE's 
analysis, and whether the tightening of a manufactured home's building 
envelope--which is what the proposed standards were designed to help 
accomplish--would impact indoor air quality by increasing the 
likelihood of trapping pollutants inside the building.
    Issue 1: What analytical aspects related to DOE's June 2016 
proposal--aside from those specifically noted later in this document--
should DOE consider re-examining as part of its ongoing consideration 
of a final rule for manufactured housing? (Within this context, this 
request also encompasses whether DOE's analysis sufficiently addresses 
the cost-effectiveness of standards based on the current IECC code when 
considering the code's impact on both the purchase price of 
manufactured housing and on total life-cycle construction and operating 
costs. See 42 U.S.C. 1771(b)(1). Why should DOE reconsider these 
aspects and what specific changes, if any, should DOE make to them? As 
part of this request, DOE is interested in any specific supplemental 
supporting data regarding any changes that commenters may suggest.
    Additionally, in further researching the manufactured housing 
market, DOE has examined additional information from a variety of 
sources. Of particular note is information from the Consumer Financial 
Protection Bureau (``CFPB''), which released a report in 2014 that 
focused on this particular market.\8\ That report, ``Manufactured-
Housing Consumer Finance in the United States,'' [hereinafter, ``CFPB 
Report''] detailed the characteristics of manufactured housing 
consumers and the market for manufactured home financing. Key findings 
from the report include:
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    \8\ See https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201409_cfpb_report_manufactured-housing.pdf.
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     Manufactured home ownership varies widely by region, with 
the majority of manufactured homes located outside of metropolitan 
areas;
     Manufactured home owners tend to have lower incomes and 
less net worth than their counterparts who own site-built homes;
     There is an extremely constrained secondary market for 
manufactured homes, following the collapse of the manufactured home 
market in the late 1990s through the early 2000s;
     Most manufactured-housing purchasers who finance their 
homes obtained a loan of between $10,000 and $80,000, with a median 
loan value of $55,000.
    These data suggest that manufactured housing purchasers face 
substantial constraints compared to traditional home purchasers. In 
turn, these constraints may make purchasers of manufactured homes more 
price-sensitive to potential changes that would impact the costs to 
construct (and purchase) a manufactured home.\9\
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    \9\ The CFPB Report also suggests that manufactured home 
consumers are particularly cost-driven: ``There is evidence that 
some households who move into manufactured housing are less 
satisfied with their homes than those who choose to move into site-
built housing. These results suggest that for at least some 
households, the choice to live in a manufactured home may be more 
cost-driven than quality-driven.'' CFPB, Manufactured-housing 
consumer finance in the United States, at 22 (September 2014) 
[hereinafter, ``CFPB Report''] (available at http://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201409_cfpb_report_manufactured-housing.pdf).
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    The CFPB data also point to certain key demographic 
characteristics. On a regional level, the CFPB noted that manufactured 
housing is more common in certain regions than others--with this type 
of housing being more common in the South and the West than in certain 
Northeastern states. Manufactured homes are also much more prevalent in 
rural areas, with about \2/3\ of all occupied manufactured homes being 
located outside of metropolitan statistical areas; in these areas, 14% 
of homes are manufactured homes. Manufactured housing as a proportion 
of occupied housing units is lowest in Maryland, New Jersey, 
Connecticut, Hawaii and Massachusetts (1%) and highest in South 
Carolina, New Mexico, and Mississippi (17%, 16%, and 15%, 
respectively). See CFPB Report, at 10-12.

[[Page 38076]]

    Further, manufactured home owners are more likely to be older and 
likely to have lower incomes or net worth. The median annual income of 
families living in manufactured homes is also slightly over $26,000, 
and the median net worth of these families is $26,000 (a quarter of 
that of families in site-built homes). See id. at 16-18.
    The CFPB also made a number of other observations with respect to 
the available financial data it examined.
    First, it indicated that the manufactured home market collapsed in 
the late 1990s through the early 2000s as consumers experienced loan 
repayment difficulties driven by low-quality manufactured home lending. 
Following the collapse, at least eight large lenders exited the 
manufactured home lending market, some of which drove losses in the 
secondary market. See generally id. at 26-29. At the time of CFPB's 
report, sales and production remained depressed with an extremely 
constrained resale market for manufactured homes. See id. at 6, 26-28, 
37.
    Second, most manufactured-housing purchasers finance between 
$10,000 and $80,000, with a loan median of $55,000. See id. at 30. 
Owners of manufactured homes finance different amounts depending on 
whether they finance the costs of only the manufactured home or the 
costs of both the home and the land on which it is sited. See id. at 
21.
    Manufactured home owners who finance their homes tend to pay higher 
interest rates than their site-built home counterparts. A key reason 
for this difference is that the vast majority of manufactured housing 
stock is titled as chattel, and as a result is eligible only for 
chattel financing. Chattel financing is typically offered to purchasers 
at a significantly higher interest rate than the rates offered to their 
site-built home counterparts. While some manufactured home owners who 
also own the land on which the manufactured home is sited may be 
eligible for mortgage financing, there is a tradeoff between lower 
origination costs with significantly higher interest rates (chattel 
loans) and higher origination costs with significantly lower interest 
rates and greater consumer protections (mortgage). See id. at 23-25.
    Issue 2: a. DOE seeks comment regarding the CFPB's findings. Are 
these findings reasonably accurate or are there other factors that DOE 
should consider when determining the economic impact of energy 
conservation standards on the ability of purchasers to buy manufactured 
homes? Assuming that these findings are reasonably accurate, what role, 
if any, should they play in shaping the standards that DOE ultimately 
adopts for manufactured housing and why? If the CFPB's findings are not 
accurate, what specific shortcomings do they have and what assumptions/
changes should DOE apply when determining the stringency and types of 
standards the agency should establish for manufactured housing?
    b. DOE's own data from its Residential Energy Consumption Survey of 
2015 suggests that manufactured housing households pay about 60% more 
for their energy per square foot than the entire housing stock. Is this 
estimate accurate--and if so, why? What specific factors contribute to 
this condition? If this estimate is not accurate, why--what specific 
factors are being overlooked in the survey that contribute to this 
inaccuracy?

B. Ownership-Related Costs

    DOE's analysis for its June 2016 proposal considered the economic 
impacts of the proposed standards on individual manufactured home 
purchasers. Similar to its approach toward appliance standards, these 
analyses focused on the prospect of applying a single, uniform minimum 
standard that all manufactured homes of a given size (single- or multi-
section) and in a given climate zone (i.e., region of the country would 
need to meet. Necessarily, this approach examined the overall economic 
impacts in a broad fashion by applying a uniform standard to all 
manufactured housing units within a given climate zone and home size 
category. However, the approaches that the Department has taken with 
respect to appliance standards may not be suitable in the case of 
manufactured housing, which fills a distinct need for housing for a 
particular subset of consumers. In particular, under the statutory 
provision requiring the Department to develop standards for 
manufactured housing, the standards must generally be based on the most 
recent version of the IECC, except where DOE finds that the IECC is not 
cost effective, or a more stringent standard would be more cost 
effective. A finding that standards based on the IECC are not cost 
effective or that standards more stringent than the IECC are cost 
effective would be based on the impact of the adoption of the IECC 
standards on the purchase price of manufactured housing and on total 
life-cycle construction and operating costs. As a result, the approach 
presented by the working group (and adopted by DOE in its proposal) may 
have inadvertently overlooked certain factors and yielded an incomplete 
picture regarding the potential impacts flowing from its proposal and 
whether the standards must be based on the most recent version of the 
IECC. Consequently, DOE is seeking comment on a variety of issues 
related to these factors to help further inform its views regarding the 
economic impacts related to the establishment of energy efficiency 
standards for manufactured housing, and how those impacts effect use of 
the most recent version of the IECC.
    Issue 3: Manufactured housing owners tend to be lower-income than 
other homeowners,\10\ and are also likely to finance their manufactured 
housing purchase using high-rate chattel loans. As a result, the 
Department is particularly interested in comments and data regarding 
the affordability of manufactured housing and how the options outlined 
in this NODA would affect upfront manufactured housing affordability. 
DOE also seeks comment on whether and how the different approaches 
outlined in this NODA would differently affect the affordability of 
manufactured homes.
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    \10\ ``Certain consumer segments are disproportionately 
represented among owners and renters of manufactured homes, in 
particular older consumers, consumers that have completed only high 
school, households with relatively low income, and households with 
relatively low net worth.'' CFPB Report, at 13.
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    Additionally, as part of this inquiry, DOE seeks public input on 
each of the following items:
    a. Affordability is a combination of upfront cost, which may price 
out some consumers at time of purchase, and operating costs, which will 
affect all manufactured housing owners over a longer time horizon. The 
Department seeks comments that provide information on how to weigh 
these components in defining ``affordability,'' with particular focus 
on affordability for low-income consumers.
    b. The Department also seeks comment on what a reasonable payback 
period might be for efficiency in manufactured homes, and any relevant 
tradeoffs between upfront cost and payback period that the Department 
should consider to avoid creating a situation where the upfront cost 
increases may price consumers out of the market for new homes, even if 
those costs might be recouped over time. While the cost of site-built 
home efficiency upgrades may be recouped when an owner sells the home, 
the same may not be true of manufactured homes because (1) manufactured 
housing owners have relatively short tenancies \11\

[[Page 38077]]

and (2) the resale market for manufactured housing is highly 
constrained,\12\ such that the original owner will likely not recoup 
upfront efficiency investments if the payback period exceeds tenancy. 
DOE seeks additional information from commenters on the manufactured 
housing resale market that would inform the Department's consideration 
of what a reasonable payback period would be. If available, the 
Department also seeks information on the distribution of manufactured 
housing tenancy rates.
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    \11\ See Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Manufactured-
housing consumer finance in the United States, September 2014 at 42-
43: http://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201409_cfpb_report_manufactured-housing.pdf.
    \12\ Kevin Jewell. ``Manufactured Housing Appreciation: 
Stereotypes and Data.'' Consumers Union, Southwest Regional Office. 
May 2003. Page 6. http://consumersunion.org/pdf/manufacturedhousing/Appreciation.pdf.
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    c. The Department is also interested in comments that inform 
whether special consideration should be given to affordability, 
particularly given that low-income and older consumers are 
disproportionately represented among manufactured housing owners.\13\ 
Executive Order 13563, which reinforces the principles of Executive 
Order 12866, indicates that agencies ``may consider (and discuss 
qualitatively) values that are difficult or impossible to quantify, 
including equity, human dignity, fairness, and distributive impacts'' 
\14\ where appropriate and permitted by law.
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    \13\ See footnote 10, supra.
    \14\ Executive Order 13563, Section 1(c), 76 FR 3821 (January 
21, 2011).
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    d. The Department seeks data and information regarding basing 
standards on the most recent version of the IECC, in particular, 
whether standards based on the most recent version of the IECC would 
not be cost effective or that standards more stringent than the most 
recent version of the IECC would be cost effective, in either case 
based on the impact of the adoption of the IECC standards on the 
purchase price of manufactured housing and on total life-cycle 
construction and operating costs.
    Issue 4: DOE is aware that efficiency standards for manufactured 
housing may affect consumers in different regions differently, and 
seeks information on (1) the disparate regional effects of a standard, 
and (2) whether these effects are mitigated by use of tiered standards 
or a tiered labeling program.
    Issue 5: DOE seeks to better understand the market for manufactured 
homes. Available sources provide information regarding the average or 
median manufactured housing purchase price \15\ or the proportion of 
manufactured housing owners who borrowed different amounts to finance 
their manufactured housing purchase,\16\ but do not directly show the 
distribution of manufactured housing prices across the market and the 
percentage of consumers who purchase at each price category. DOE is 
interested in such information, particularly to the extent that such 
information could inform the consideration of threshold standards.
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    \15\ See U.S. Census Bureau, Cost and Size Comparison: New 
Manufactured Homes and Single-Family Site Built Homes (2007-2014), 
for example.
    \16\ See Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Manufactured-
housing consumer finance in the United States, September 2014, for 
example.
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C. Prescriptive and Performance-Based Standards

    In DOE's June 2016 standards proposal, the agency laid out two 
possible approaches it was considering at the time. The first option 
involved potential prescriptive requirements that would apply to a 
variety of components used in constructing the thermal envelope of a 
given manufactured home. These requirements laid out prescribed 
specifications related to thermal resistance (R-value) for wall, 
ceiling, and floor insulation, thermal transmittance specifications (U-
factor) for windows, skylights, and doors, and glass glazing (SHGC) 
requirements. See 81 FR 39757. These prescriptive levels would vary 
based on the climate zone in which the home is located. 81 FR 39766. 
The second option presented a potential performance-based approach that 
would establish a maximum overall thermal transmittance for requirement 
for the building structure's thermal envelope (Uo) and set additional 
U-factor and SHGC requirements. See id. Like with the prescriptive 
approach, these requirements would also vary by climate zone.
    In addition to these approaches, DOE also considered including 
provisions for determining U-factor, R-value, SHGC, and Uo. It also 
considered establishing prescriptive requirements for installation of 
insulation and sealing the building's thermal envelope and duct system 
to limit air leakage, which would in turn reduce potential thermal 
losses. See id.
    Issue 6: DOE is interested in feedback regarding whether any 
aspects of its 2016 proposal need further consideration and if so, why. 
For comments pointing to weaknesses or strengths with respect to DOE's 
proposal, the agency seeks any supporting data in addition to that 
which DOE has already made public as part of the manufactured housing 
standards rulemaking docket.

D. Alternative Approaches

    DOE is also considering an altogether different approach consisting 
of incremental packages that maximize energy savings of a manufactured 
home within certain incremental cost parameters. These options respond 
to concerns from stakeholders, including HUD, regarding the potentially 
prohibitive upfront costs of its 2016 proposed standards. As a result, 
this analysis illustrates packages that maximize energy savings within 
incremental cost thresholds of $500, $1,000, or $1,500. DOE is seeking 
comment on whether any of the cost threshold packages presented here 
(i.e. either $500, $1,000, or $1,500), when applied as a national 
standard, would address the concerns of stakeholders regarding the high 
upfront cost of its 2016 proposed standards. Further, DOE developed two 
sets of cost threshold packages: One set includes envelope and duct 
sealing as options to include in the cost threshold packages, and one 
set does not include envelope and duct sealing regardless of cost 
effectiveness.
    Unlike the tiered standards discussed in this NODA, these cost 
threshold packages illustrate the costs and benefits of a potential 
national standard that would apply across the fleet of manufactured 
homes. However, given the Department's interest in tailoring its 
standards to consumers with differing preferences and needs, DOE is 
also soliciting comments on whether it can employ a tiered approach to 
these standards, wherein the $500, $1,000, and $1,500 cost packages 
could be applied to, or offered as an option for, various segments of 
the market for manufactured homes.
    The Department also recognizes the value of providing accurate 
information on potential energy savings. In addition to being low 
incremental or additional cost to manufacturers, better informed 
consumers are empowered to make choices that meet their individual 
needs for energy savings within their own personal economic 
circumstances. This approach builds on the guidance in Executive Order 
12866, which instructs each agency to identify opportunities to provide 
information the public can use to make informed choices.\17\ To this 
end, the Department is considering a tiered labeling approach that 
would classify various levels of energy savings based on stringency and 
categorize these options within certain tiers, such as a Brass, Bronze, 
Silver, Gold, and Platinum tier, wherein the Platinum tier

[[Page 38078]]

would represent the most efficient products on the market and Brass 
would represent the least efficient.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \17\ Executive Order 12866, ``Regulatory Planning and Review,'' 
58 FR 51735 (October 4, 1993) (Section 1(b)(3)).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Consequently, DOE is evaluating the following options:
    Package 1--This package would maximize the energy savings of a 
manufactured home at an upfront cost of either $500, $1,000, or $1,500. 
The accompanying analysis illustrates the associated lifecycle costs 
and payback period for each potential standard level across climate 
zones.\18\ This package would exclude envelope and duct sealing to 
maximize energy savings under any of the cost threshold options 
examined.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \18\ See https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021-0200.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Package 2--Like Package 1, this package would maximize the energy 
savings of a manufactured home at an upfront cost of either $500, 
$1,000, or $1,500. The accompanying analysis illustrates the associated 
lifecycle costs and payback period for each potential standard level 
across climate zones.\19\ Unlike Package 1, this package would allow 
envelope and duct sealing to maximize energy savings under all of the 
cost threshold options examined.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \19\ See footnote 18, supra.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Package 3--Rather than setting a national standard within a 
specified cost threshold, this option would create a framework where 
several different tiers of energy efficiency would be offered to 
consumers based on their particular needs and pricing sensitivities. 
These tiers would be based on cost increments, which, for purposes of 
DOE's current analysis, would be based on $500 increments with a cap at 
$1,500.
    Package 4--This package would require each manufactured home to 
include a label prior to sale indicating expected energy use and 
savings. The labeling system would be tiered in the sense that 
different levels of energy savings would be labeled differently, such 
as by being categorized with a Brass, Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum 
rating. These tiers would be based on potential energy savings. The 
Department is considering this package in conjunction with any of the 
other alternatives discussed above or with potential alternatives that 
may be suggested in response to this request for comment.
    Package 5--Finally, to ensure that manufactured housing continues 
to be a viable source for affordable housing, this package would 
exclude all manufactured homes with a cost level and retail purchase 
price (not including land costs) equal to or less than the loan limit 
established in accordance with Section 2(b)(1)(C) of the National 
Housing Act, 12 U.S.C. 1703(b)(1)(C), plus 5% (Title I Loan Limits). 
(Currently = $73,162 or 1.05 x $69,678.) Similarly, under this package, 
DOE would apply a higher price threshold ($294,515) under the same 
conditions--i.e. cost level and purchase price (not including land 
costs)--that would encourage (but not require) manufactured housing at 
a certain price to meet DOE's standards. For all other manufactured 
housing that exceeds this level, DOE could apply one of the package 
approaches described under Packages 1 through 4.
    In evaluating these various options, DOE is considering a scenario 
where manufacturers continue to offer more economical versions of 
manufactured homes for certain segments of the market that are 
currently available but that may not necessarily fall into one of the 
cost incremental categories described above. A regime in which 
manufacturers continue to offer those manufactured homes that are 
currently available on the market as well as variants at greater levels 
of efficiency would allow particularly price sensitive individuals who 
may not have the financial means to pursue other housing options to 
maintain their ability to purchase a manufactured home of their choice 
while also allowing those with greater means who desire increased 
energy efficiency to purchase a manufactured home that suits their 
desires. Under any of these scenarios, DOE would consider developing a 
labeling framework to inform consumers regarding these options. DOE 
also seeks comment on implementing a tiered labeling system in 
conjunction with the other options discussed in this document to 
address any potential information asymmetry and preserve consumer 
choice.
    Issue 7: DOE seeks comment on whether it should consider and 
implement a cost-based tier structure with respect to regulating the 
energy efficiency of manufactured housing. DOE notes that a tiered 
approach could better address some of the concerns that may exist with 
respect to the first-time costs that purchasers may encounter with more 
efficient--but more expensive--manufactured homes. If so, why--and if 
not, why not?
    Issue 8: Consumers may fail to optimize the efficiency of their 
homes due to a lack of available information on the benefits of energy 
savings. Recognizing this, the NODA presents an option that would 
provide tiered labeling for consumers to compare and contrast 
information on upfront costs and long-term energy savings across 
manufactured housing structures. The Department is seeking comments on 
the benefit of providing consumers with such information, which 
preserves consumer choice, and the best way to provide consumers with 
information that they can easily understand and put to use.
    a. What information is available to consumers when they make 
manufactured housing purchasing decisions, and what additional 
information would be useful? Further, how can the Department add value 
in the provision and display of information?
    b. DOE seeks comments regarding whether access to information is a 
barrier to manufactured housing consumers, and if so, what is the 
magnitude of this barrier (i.e. to what extent does the lack of 
information prevent consumers from purchasing efficient homes)?
    Issue 9: DOE is also considering a number of approaches that would 
increase consumer access to information and increase the efficiency of 
manufactured homes.
    a. In weighing these approaches, the Department seeks comment on 
the advantages and disadvantages of using a tiered approach for 
efficiency standards versus using a single national standard that would 
apply to all manufactured homes within a single climate zone. DOE also 
seeks information regarding what a labeling framework would need to 
consider if a tiered approach were used and what the costs of such an 
approach would likely be. The Department further seeks comment on the 
advantages and disadvantages of using a tiered approach to labeling 
requirements versus a single national labeling standard for 
manufactured homes.
    b. Within the tiered options discussed above, the Department seeks 
public input on what the appropriate criteria are to use for 
establishing thresholds (e.g., price, cost, region, etc.) and how best 
to define these criteria (e.g., manufacturer added cost, retail price, 
etc.). DOE also seeks public input on other factors that it should 
consider when establishing tiered standards.
    With respect to tightening a manufactured home's building envelope, 
the agency notes that this technique appears to be a cost-effective way 
to increase energy efficiency. However, many previous commenters, 
including HUD's Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee, raised the 
possibility that sealing requirements may pose challenges for indoor 
air

[[Page 38079]]

quality.\20\ Degraded indoor air quality could introduce additional 
costs in terms of health and safety or operation and maintenance that 
may impede the cost efficacy of these approaches.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \20\ https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021-0162.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Previous commenters have submitted existing literature on 
manufactured housing indoor air quality, including a report from the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (``CDC''), an agency within 
the Department of Health and Human Services (``HHS''). The CDC report, 
which was prepared in conjunction with HUD, found generally that indoor 
air can contain a number of contaminants that contribute to health 
complaints, and that indoor air quality is of particular concern in 
manufactured housing due to its confined spaces and, in some cases, 
lower ventilation and air exchange rates.\21\ In addition, the CDC 
report found that ``manufactured structures with relatively less air 
circulation may develop higher levels of indoor contaminants.'' 
However, comprehensive data on air quality in manufactured homes was 
unavailable at the time of CDC's report.\22\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \21\ CDC and HHS. Safety and Health in Manufactured Structures 
(2011) [hereinafter, ``Safety and Health''].
    \22\ Safety and Health, at p. 25.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Issue 10: Is new information available on the relationship between 
tightening the home envelope and indoor air quality? If so, what is the 
nature of that information, why should DOE consider it, and how should 
the agency integrate it into its analyses?
    Issue 11: DOE is particularly interested in baseline measures of 
air flow in recently-built manufactured housing against which to 
measure any potential reductions in air changes per hour (``ACH''). DOE 
also seeks information related to what the appropriate ACH threshold is 
for maintaining adequate indoor air quality.\23\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \23\ As of 2003, ASHRAE and HUD had established a minimum whole-
house ventilation requirement of 0.35 ACH for achieving appropriate 
indoor air quality. See https://www.huduser.gov/publications/pdf/moisturereport.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Issue 12: What potential health and safety costs of incremental 
reductions in ACH and/or indoor air quality should the Department 
consider when evaluating this approach and why? What steps should DOE 
consider taking to reduce these costs while preserving indoor air 
quality for manufactured home residents and what disadvantages, if any, 
are there to each of these specific steps?
    Issue 13: Regarding the overall structure of DOE's approach to its 
proposed climate zones, should these zones be reconsidered--and if so, 
why? Should DOE use HUD's existing climate zones? If DOE were to 
develop its own climate zones, what factors should it consider in doing 
so? What factors would support the continued use of the proposed 
climate zones and how do those factors weigh against using HUD's 
existing climate zones or in favor of adjusting them further?

E. Compliance Lead-Times

    The June 2016 proposal used a compliance date lead-time of one year 
from the publication of a final rule. DOE proposed a lead-time of one 
year under the belief that this amount of time would be sufficient to 
allow manufacturers to transition their designs, materials, and factory 
operations and processes to comply with the finalized version of the 
energy conservation standards that DOE considered adopting. In light of 
the amount of time that has elapsed since the date of DOE's June 2016 
proposal, and the possibility that the agency may explore an 
alternative approach for regulating the energy efficiency of 
manufactured homes through the use of a tiered system along with 
variants of DOE's earlier proposal that would rely on HUD's three 
climate zones, DOE is interested in soliciting public comment on 
whether its proposed lead-time remains appropriate.
    Issue 14: Should DOE continue to apply a one year lead-time to the 
energy conservation standards for manufactured housing? Does the 
approach--i.e. single uniform national standard versus a multi-tiered 
national standard--impact the amount of lead-time manufacturers would 
require to meet the applicable standards? If so, why--and if not, why 
not? If DOE were to adopt an approach that presented different 
compliance options in the form of cost-based tiers, would manufacturers 
require more, less, or the same amount of lead-time as the agency's 
proposal (i.e. one year)? Why or why not?
    Issue 15: With respect to the manufactured housing standards that 
DOE promulgates, DOE seeks comment on what enforcement mechanism would 
be the most appropriate to apply and why. In considering enforcement 
mechanisms, DOE is interested in information concerning the burden and 
cost impacts for suggested approach(es), as well as the compliance 
lead-time needed by the industry. Further, DOE seeks information as to 
whether enforcement cost of any suggested approach may extend beyond 
the manufacturing industry to the sales and distribution channels that 
interface with prospective purchasers.

III. Submission of Comments

    DOE invites all interested parties to submit in writing by the date 
listed in DATES, comments and information on matters addressed in this 
notice and on other matters relevant to DOE's consideration of energy 
conservation standards for manufactured housing. These comments and 
information will aid in the development of energy conservation 
standards for these structures.
    Submitting comments via http://www.regulations.gov. The http://www.regulations.gov web page will require you to provide your name and 
contact information. Your contact information will be viewable to DOE 
Building Technologies staff only. Your contact information will not be 
publicly viewable except for your first and last names, organization 
name (if any), and submitter representative name (if any). If your 
comment is not processed properly because of technical difficulties, 
DOE will use this information to contact you. If DOE cannot read your 
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, DOE may not be able to consider your comment.
    However, your contact information will be publicly viewable if you 
include it in the comment or in any documents attached to your comment. 
Any information that you do not want to be publicly viewable should not 
be included in your comment, nor in any document attached to your 
comment. Persons viewing comments will see only first and last names, 
organization names, correspondence containing comments, and any 
documents submitted with the comments.
    Do not submit to http://www.regulations.gov information for which 
disclosure is restricted by statute, such as trade secrets and 
commercial or financial information (hereinafter referred to as 
Confidential Business Information (``CBI'')). Comments submitted 
through http://www.regulations.gov cannot be claimed as CBI. Comments 
received through the website will waive any CBI claims for the 
information submitted. For information on submitting CBI, see the 
Confidential Business Information section.
    DOE processes submissions made through http://www.regulations.gov 
before posting. Normally, comments will be posted within a few days of 
being submitted. However, if large volumes of comments are being 
processed simultaneously, your

[[Page 38080]]

comment may not be viewable for up to several weeks. Please keep the 
comment tracking number that http://www.regulations.gov provides after 
you have successfully uploaded your comment.
    Submitting comments via email, hand delivery, or mail. Comments and 
documents submitted via email, hand delivery, or mail also will be 
posted to http://www.regulations.gov. If you do not want your personal 
contact information to be publicly viewable, do not include it in your 
comment or any accompanying documents. Instead, provide your contact 
information on a cover letter. Include your first and last names, email 
address, telephone number, and optional mailing address. The cover 
letter will not be publicly viewable as long as it does not include any 
comments.
    Include contact information each time you submit comments, data, 
documents, and other information to DOE. If you submit via mail or hand 
delivery, please provide all items on a CD, if feasible. It is not 
necessary to submit printed copies. No facsimiles (faxes) will be 
accepted.
    Comments, data, and other information submitted to DOE 
electronically should be provided in PDF (preferred), Microsoft Word or 
Excel, WordPerfect, or text (ASCII) file format. Provide documents that 
are not secured, written in English and free of any defects or viruses. 
Documents should not contain special characters or any form of 
encryption and, if possible, they should carry the electronic signature 
of the author.
    Campaign form letters. Please submit campaign form letters by the 
originating organization in batches of between 50 to 500 form letters 
per PDF or as one form letter with a list of supporters' names compiled 
into one or more PDFs. This reduces comment processing and posting 
time.
    Confidential Business Information. According to 10 CFR 1004.11, any 
person submitting information that he or she believes to be 
confidential and exempt by law from public disclosure should submit via 
email, postal mail, or hand delivery two well-marked copies: One copy 
of the document marked confidential including all the information 
believed to be confidential, and one copy of the document marked ``non-
confidential'' with the information believed to be confidential 
deleted. Submit these documents via email or on a CD, if feasible. DOE 
will make its own determination about the confidential status of the 
information and treat it according to its determination.
    Factors of interest to DOE when evaluating requests to treat 
submitted information as confidential include (1) a description of the 
items, (2) whether and why such items are customarily treated as 
confidential within the industry, (3) whether the information is 
generally known by or available from other sources, (4) whether the 
information has previously been made available to others without 
obligation concerning its confidentiality, (5) an explanation of the 
competitive injury to the submitting person which would result from 
public disclosure, (6) when such information might lose its 
confidential character due to the passage of time, and (7) why 
disclosure of the information would be contrary to the public interest.
    It is DOE's policy that all comments may be included in the public 
docket, without change and as received, including any personal 
information provided in the comments (except information deemed to be 
exempt from public disclosure).
    DOE considers public participation to be a very important part of 
the process for developing test procedures and energy conservation 
standards. DOE actively encourages the participation and interaction of 
the public during the comment period in each stage of the rulemaking 
process. Interactions with and between members of the public provide a 
balanced discussion of the issues and assist DOE in the rulemaking 
process. Anyone who wishes to be added to the DOE mailing list to 
receive future notices and information about this process should 
contact Appliance and Equipment Standards Program staff at (202) 287-
1445 or via email at [email protected].

    Signed in Washington, DC, on July 31, 2018.
Cathy Tripodi,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2018-16650 Filed 8-2-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P



                                                                                                                                                                                                  38073

                                                Proposed Rules                                                                                                Federal Register
                                                                                                                                                              Vol. 83, No. 150

                                                                                                                                                              Friday, August 3, 2018



                                                This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER                      1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://                Mr. Michael Kido, U.S. Department of
                                                contains notices to the public of the proposed          www.regulations.gov. Follow the                       Energy, Office of the General Counsel,
                                                issuance of rules and regulations. The                  instructions for submitting comments.                 GC–33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW,
                                                purpose of these notices is to give interested            2. Email: to Manufactured_Housing@                  Washington, DC 20585–0121.
                                                persons an opportunity to participate in the                                                                  Telephone: (202) 586–8145. Email:
                                                rule making prior to the adoption of the final
                                                                                                        ee.doe.gov. Include EERE–2009–BT–
                                                                                                        BC–0021 in the subject line of the                    Michael.Kido@hq.doe.gov.
                                                rules.
                                                                                                        message.                                                For further information on how to
                                                                                                          3. Postal Mail: Appliance and                       submit a comment or review other
                                                DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY                                    Equipment Standards Program, U.S.                     public comments and the docket,
                                                                                                        Department of Energy, Building                        contact the Appliance and Equipment
                                                10 CFR Part 460                                         Technologies Office, Mailstop EE–5B,                  Standards Program staff at (202) 287–
                                                                                                        1000 Independence Avenue SW,                          1445 or by email: Manufactured_
                                                [EERE–2009–BT–BC–0021]                                                                                        Housing@ee.doe.gov.
                                                                                                        Washington, DC 20585–0121. If
                                                RIN 1904–AC11                                           possible, please submit all items on a                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
                                                                                                        compact disc (CD), in which case it is                Table of Contents
                                                Energy Conservation Program: Energy                     not necessary to include printed copies.
                                                Conservation Standards for                                4. Hand Delivery/Courier: Appliance                 I. Introduction
                                                Manufactured Housing                                    and Equipment Standards Program, U.S.                    A. Authority and Background
                                                                                                        Department of Energy, Building                           B. Rulemaking History
                                                AGENCY:  Office of Energy Efficiency and                                                                      II. Request for Information
                                                Renewable Energy, Department of                         Technologies Office, 950 L’Enfant Plaza
                                                                                                                                                                 A. June 2016 Proposal’s Analytical
                                                Energy.                                                 SW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20024.                        Assumptions
                                                ACTION: Notice of data availability;
                                                                                                        Telephone: (202) 287–1445. If possible,                  B. Ownership-Related Costs
                                                request for information.                                please submit all items on a CD, in                      C. Prescriptive and Performance-Based
                                                                                                        which case it is not necessary to include                   Standards
                                                SUMMARY:   The U.S. Department of                       printed copies.                                          D. Alternative Approaches
                                                                                                          No telefacsimilies (faxes) will be                     E. Compliance Lead-Times
                                                Energy (DOE) is announcing this notice
                                                                                                                                                              III. Submission of Comments
                                                of data availability (‘‘NODA’’) and                     accepted. For detailed instructions on
                                                soliciting public input regarding data                  submitting comments and additional                    I. Introduction
                                                relating to certain aspects in developing               information on the rulemaking process,
                                                energy conservation standards for                       see section III of this document.                        Manufactured housing comprises a
                                                manufactured housing. These data are                      Docket: The docket for this activity,               housing category that consists of
                                                likely to help serve as support for DOE’s               which includes Federal Register                       structures constructed in a factory, built
                                                further refinement of certain aspects of                notices, comments, and other                          on a permanent chassis, and
                                                its proposed standards for these                        supporting documents/materials, is                    transportable in one or more sections
                                                structures. They may also serve as the                  available for review at http://                       that are then erected on-site. See 24 CFR
                                                basis for DOE’s restructuring of its                    www.regulations.gov. All documents in                 3280.2 This type of housing has
                                                approach in laying out the framework                    the docket are listed in the http://                  traditionally been regulated by the
                                                for standards that would apply to                       www.regulations.gov index. However,                   Department of Housing and Urban
                                                manufactured housing. DOE is seeking                    some documents listed in the index,                   Development (‘‘HUD’’), which has
                                                comment on these data along with                        such as those containing information                  regulated these structures with the
                                                several options that it is currently                    that is exempt from public disclosure,                purpose of reducing personal injuries,
                                                considering that could form an                          may not be publicly available.                        deaths, property damage, and insurance
                                                alternative basis for regulating the                                                                          costs, and to improve the quality,
                                                                                                          The docket web page can be found at
                                                energy efficiency of manufactured                                                                             durability, safety, and affordability of
                                                                                                        https://www.regulations.gov/
                                                housing. DOE also seeks any additional                                                                        these homes. See 42 U.S.C. 5401(b).
                                                                                                        docket?D=EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021. The
                                                information that might further inform                                                                         Consistent with its statutory authority,
                                                                                                        docket web page contains simple
                                                the agency’s views regarding the manner                                                                       HUD has created a comprehensive
                                                                                                        instructions on how to access all
                                                in which to regulate these structures.                                                                        regulatory framework to address a
                                                                                                        documents, including public comments,
                                                                                                                                                              variety of aspects related to these
                                                DATES: Written comments and                             in the docket. See section III for
                                                                                                                                                              structures, including certain elements
                                                information are requested and will be                   information on how to submit
                                                                                                                                                              related to their energy efficiency. See,
                                                accepted on or before September 17,                     comments through http://
                                                                                                                                                              e.g. 24 CFR 3280.507(a) (specifying
                                                2018.                                                   www.regulations.gov.
                                                                                                                                                              thermal insulation requirements) and 24
                                                ADDRESSES:   Interested persons are                     FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                      CFR 3280.508(d) (detailing requirements
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with PROPOSALS1




                                                encouraged to submit comments using                       Ms. Sofie Miller, U.S. Department of                related to the installation of high-
                                                the Federal eRulemaking Portal at                       Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and               efficiency heating and cooling
                                                http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the                  Renewable Energy, Building                            equipment in manufactured homes).
                                                instructions for submitting comments.                   Technologies Office, EE–5B, 1000                      HUD’s standards are preemptive
                                                Alternatively, interested persons may                   Independence Avenue SW, Washington,                   nationwide and differ from standards
                                                submit comments, identified by docket                   DC 20585–0121. Telephone: (202) 287–                  developed under the auspices of (and
                                                number EERE–2009–BT–BC–0021, by                         1943. Email: Manufactured_Housing@                    published by) the International Code
                                                any of the following methods:                           ee.doe.gov.                                           Council (‘‘ICC’’). The ICC standards,


                                           VerDate Sep<11>2014   18:01 Aug 02, 2018   Jkt 244001   PO 00000   Frm 00001   Fmt 4702   Sfmt 4702   E:\FR\FM\03AUP1.SGM   03AUP1


                                                38074                    Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 150 / Friday, August 3, 2018 / Proposed Rules

                                                known as the International Energy                       the climate zones included as part of the               7551 (February 11, 2015).3 These
                                                Conservation Code (‘‘IECC’’), have been                 IECC, and                                               meetings led to the adoption of a term
                                                adopted by many state and local                           • Alternative practices that result in                sheet detailing numerous technical
                                                governments in establishing minimum                     net estimated energy consumption equal                  recommendations for energy efficiency
                                                design and construction requirements                    to or less than the specific IECC                       standards for manufactured housing.
                                                for the energy efficiency of residential                standards. See 42 U.S.C. 17071(b)(2).                   See Document ID EERE–2009–BT–BC–
                                                and commercial buildings. However,                        In addition, EISA provides that a                     0021–0107.4 Also, in accordance with a
                                                due to the preemptive nature of HUD’s                   manufacturer who violates the                           recommendation from the working
                                                standards, the ICC standards are not                    regulations established by DOE under                    group, DOE sought further public
                                                currently applied to manufactured                       42 U.S.C. 17071(a) ‘‘is liable to the                   comment regarding some technical
                                                housing. Consistent with this approach                  United States for a civil penalty in an                 issues that had arisen in the rulemaking
                                                and Federal law, DOE is tasked with                     amount not exceeding 1 percent of the                   process. See 80 FR 7551–7553. In
                                                evaluating whether the adoption of                      manufacturer’s retail list price of the                 addition to these extensive efforts to
                                                standards based on the most recent                      manufactured housing.’’ See 42 U.S.C.                   solicit comments from the public and
                                                version of the IECC would satisfy the                   17071(c).                                               the expertise of the working group, DOE
                                                applicable statutory requirements.                                                                              also held meetings with HUD
                                                                                                        B. Rulemaking History                                   throughout the regulatory process and
                                                A. Authority and Background                                                                                     engaged in discussions with the
                                                                                                           In the years since EISA became law,
                                                   Section 413 of the Energy                            DOE has undertaken several steps down                   Manufactured Housing Consensus
                                                Independence and Security Act of 2007,                  the complex regulatory path of fulfilling               Committee. See 81 FR 39762–39763,
                                                Public Law 110–140 (December 19,                        Section 413’s directive for promulgating                39765. It has also conferred with various
                                                2007) (‘‘EISA’’) requires DOE to                        new regulations under the processes                     other stakeholders. See id. 81 FR 39763,
                                                establish by regulation standards for the               and conditions set forth in the statute.                39765.
                                                energy efficiency of manufactured                       After studying the issue, on February                      On June 17, 2016, DOE published in
                                                housing. See 42 U.S.C. 17071(a)(1). Prior               22, 2010, DOE published an advanced                     the Federal Register a NOPR, which, in
                                                to establishing these regulations, DOE                  notice of proposed rulemaking and                       addition to comprehensively describing
                                                must satisfy two conditions—(1)                         request for comment identifying 13                      DOE’s analysis, was accompanied by a
                                                provide manufacturers and other                         distinct issues concerning energy                       technical support document detailing
                                                interested parties with notice and an                   efficiency in manufactured housing                      DOE’s analyses supporting that
                                                opportunity for comment and (2)                         about which it sought public input. See                 proposal. See 81 FR 39756. See also
                                                consult with the Secretary of HUD, who                  Energy Standards for Manufactured                       Document ID EERE–2009–BT–BC–
                                                may then ‘‘seek further counsel from the                Housing, 75 FR 7556, 7557 (February                     0021–0136.5 The agency also prepared a
                                                Manufactured Housing Consensus                          22, 2010). After receiving and                          draft environmental assessment
                                                Committee.’’ 1 42 U.S.C. 17071(a)(2).                   considering the submitted comments,                     pursuant to the National Environmental
                                                These standards must generally be                                                                               Policy Act, on which it sought public
                                                                                                        DOE prepared a draft notice of proposed
                                                                                                                                                                input, particularly regarding the impacts
                                                based on the most recent version of the                 rulemaking (‘‘draft NOPR’’) and
                                                                                                                                                                of the proposed standards on the indoor
                                                IECC, except where DOE finds that the                   submitted it to the Office of Information
                                                                                                                                                                air quality of manufactured homes. See
                                                IECC is not cost effective, or a more                   and Regulatory Affairs (‘‘OIRA’’) in the
                                                                                                                                                                Draft Environmental Assessment for
                                                stringent standard would be more cost                   Office of Management and Budget for
                                                                                                                                                                Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,
                                                effective. A finding that standards based               review, pursuant to Executive Order
                                                                                                                                                                ‘‘Energy Conservation Standards for
                                                on the IECC are not cost effective or that              12866. Ultimately, the draft NOPR did
                                                                                                                                                                Manufactured Housing’’ With Request
                                                standards more stringent than the IECC                  not clear the OIRA review process, and
                                                                                                                                                                for Information on Impacts to Indoor Air
                                                are cost effective would be based on the                DOE withdrew it on March 13, 2014.2
                                                                                                                                                                Quality, 81 FR 42576 (June 30, 2016).
                                                impact of the adoption of the IECC                         Following the withdrawal of the draft                DOE received nearly 50 comments on
                                                standards on the purchase price of                      NOPR from OIRA, DOE notified the                        the proposed rule during the comment
                                                manufactured housing and on total life-                 public of its intent to establish a                     period. After considering those
                                                cycle construction and operating costs.                 negotiated rulemaking working group                     comments, DOE prepared a draft final
                                                See 42 U.S.C. 17071(b)(1). In                           for manufactured housing. DOE                           rule governing energy efficiency in
                                                establishing its standards, DOE may                     believed that this approach would be                    manufactured housing and submitted it
                                                consider:                                               ‘‘better suited to resolving complex                    to OIRA for review under Executive
                                                   • The design and factory construction                technical issues’’ concerning the                       Order 12866. OIRA received the draft
                                                techniques of manufactured housing,                     standards, among other benefits. 79 FR                  final rule on November 1, 2016.6 Again,
                                                   • The climate zones established in                   33874 (June 13, 2014). The working
                                                the U.S. Department of Housing and                      group was convened and met for a total                     3 See also Appliance Standards and Rulemaking

                                                Urban Development’s Manufactured                        of 12 days over a three-month period.                   Federal Advisory Committee (ASRAC)—
                                                                                                        See Energy Conservation Program:                        Manufactured Housing Working Group, 79 FR
                                                Home Construction and Safety                                                                                    48097 (August 15, 2014); Appliance Standards and
                                                Standards (‘‘the HUD Code’’) rather than                Energy Efficiency Standards for                         Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee
                                                                                                        Manufactured Housing, 80 FR 7550,                       (ASRAC)—Manufactured Housing Working Group,
                                                   1 HUD describes its Manufactured Housing                                                                     79 FR 59154 (October 1, 2014).
                                                                                                                                                                   4 Available at: https://www.regulations.gov/
                                                Consensus Committee as ‘‘a statutory Federal               2 The withdrawn date can be found at https://
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                                                Advisory Committee body charged with providing          www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eoAdvancedSearch and          document?D=EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021-0107.
                                                                                                                                                                   5 Available at: https://www.regulations.gov/
                                                recommendations to the Secretary on the revision        entering ‘‘1904–AC11’’ for the RIN and checking
                                                and interpretation of HUD’s manufactured home           ‘‘Concluded’’ under ‘‘Review Status’’. Additionally,    document?D=EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021-0136.
                                                construction and safety standards and related           while the OIRA review was ongoing, on June 25,             6 See supra, note 2. On November 9, 2016, DOE

                                                procedural and enforcement regulations. The             2013, DOE published a request for information in        also published a notice of proposed rulemaking for
                                                [Committee] is charged with developing proposed         which it sought additional public input regarding       test procedures, as a companion to the draft energy
                                                model installation standards for the manufactured       four identified issues related to its rulemaking. See   efficiency standards rule for manufactured housing.
                                                housing industry.’’ https://www.hud.gov/program_        Energy Efficiency Standards for Manufactured            See Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures
                                                offices/housing/rmra/manufacturedhousings/cc1           Housing, 78 FR 37995, 37996–37997 (June 25,             for Manufactured Housing, 81 FR 78733 (November
                                                (last accessed on July 9, 2018).                        2013).                                                  9, 2016). Test procedures specify how those subject



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                                                                         Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 150 / Friday, August 3, 2018 / Proposed Rules                                                    38075

                                                however, DOE’s draft final rule did not                 FR 9339 (February 3, 2017). Consistent                Consumer Finance in the United
                                                clear the OIRA review process and was                   with that Executive Order, DOE                        States,’’ [hereinafter, ‘‘CFPB Report’’]
                                                withdrawn on January 31, 2017.7                         encourages the public to provide input                detailed the characteristics of
                                                                                                        on measures DOE could take to lower                   manufactured housing consumers and
                                                II. Request for Information
                                                                                                        the cost of its regulations applicable to             the market for manufactured home
                                                   Since the publication of DOE’s                       manufactured housing consistent with                  financing. Key findings from the report
                                                proposals, the agency has re-examined                   the requirements of EISA.                             include:
                                                its available data and re-evaluated its
                                                                                                        A. June 2016 Proposal’s Analytical                       • Manufactured home ownership
                                                approach in developing standards for                                                                          varies widely by region, with the
                                                manufactured housing. In particular,                    Assumptions
                                                                                                                                                              majority of manufactured homes located
                                                HUD made DOE aware of the adverse                          As with any of its appliance and                   outside of metropolitan areas;
                                                impacts on manufactured housing                         equipment standards rulemaking                           • Manufactured home owners tend to
                                                affordability that would likely follow if               proposals, DOE made a number of                       have lower incomes and less net worth
                                                DOE were to adopt the approach laid                     analytical assumptions to determine                   than their counterparts who own site-
                                                out in its June 2016 proposal. As a                     what minimum level of efficiency it                   built homes;
                                                result, and in consideration of specific                should use in establishing mandatory                     • There is an extremely constrained
                                                suggestions offered by HUD, DOE                         energy conservation standards for                     secondary market for manufactured
                                                initiated a review of its data and                      manufactured housing. These                           homes, following the collapse of the
                                                analysis and has begun reconsidering                    assumptions spanned a variety of                      manufactured home market in the late
                                                the framework to use in regulating these                factors, including affordability, which               1990s through the early 2000s;
                                                structures. In particular, DOE had                      climate zones to use, which solar heat                   • Most manufactured-housing
                                                previously considered a regulatory                      gain coefficient (‘‘SHGC’’) to use in a               purchasers who finance their homes
                                                regime similar to the one it administers                given climate zone, the price elasticity              obtained a loan of between $10,000 and
                                                with regard to appliance and                            value to use in DOE’s calculation of                  $80,000, with a median loan value of
                                                commercial equipment standards, i.e.,                   potential impacts, whether to include                 $55,000.
                                                setting a uniform, minimum mandatory                    certification, compliance, and                           These data suggest that manufactured
                                                level of efficiency that must be achieved               enforcement costs as part of DOE’s                    housing purchasers face substantial
                                                by all subject products. However, DOE’s                 analysis, and whether the tightening of               constraints compared to traditional
                                                authority to establish energy efficiency                a manufactured home’s building                        home purchasers. In turn, these
                                                standards for appliance standards is                    envelope—which is what the proposed                   constraints may make purchasers of
                                                separate from its authority to establish                standards were designed to help                       manufactured homes more price-
                                                energy conservation standards for                       accomplish—would impact indoor air                    sensitive to potential changes that
                                                manufactured homes. Thus, DOE is                        quality by increasing the likelihood of               would impact the costs to construct
                                                examining if it must set a single,                      trapping pollutants inside the building.              (and purchase) a manufactured home.9
                                                mandatory level of efficiency. As a                        Issue 1: What analytical aspects                      The CFPB data also point to certain
                                                result of this re-examination, DOE                      related to DOE’s June 2016 proposal—                  key demographic characteristics. On a
                                                developed a number of alternatives on                   aside from those specifically noted later             regional level, the CFPB noted that
                                                which it seeks further input from the                   in this document—should DOE consider                  manufactured housing is more common
                                                public. These alternatives would                        re-examining as part of its ongoing                   in certain regions than others—with this
                                                facilitate a variety of different levels of             consideration of a final rule for                     type of housing being more common in
                                                efficiency. In developing these                         manufactured housing? (Within this                    the South and the West than in certain
                                                alternatives, DOE gave careful                          context, this request also encompasses                Northeastern states. Manufactured
                                                consideration to a variety of factors,                  whether DOE’s analysis sufficiently                   homes are also much more prevalent in
                                                including the first-time costs related to               addresses the cost-effectiveness of                   rural areas, with about 2⁄3 of all
                                                the purchase of these homes. In the                     standards based on the current IECC                   occupied manufactured homes being
                                                following sections, DOE presents a                      code when considering the code’s                      located outside of metropolitan
                                                series of issues on which it seeks input                impact on both the purchase price of                  statistical areas; in these areas, 14% of
                                                to aid in the development of the                        manufactured housing and on total life-               homes are manufactured homes.
                                                technical and economic analyses                         cycle construction and operating costs.               Manufactured housing as a proportion
                                                regarding each of these potential                       See 42 U.S.C. 1771(b)(1). Why should                  of occupied housing units is lowest in
                                                alternatives to the proposed regulatory                 DOE reconsider these aspects and what                 Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut,
                                                framework contained in DOE’s June                       specific changes, if any, should DOE                  Hawaii and Massachusetts (1%) and
                                                2016 standards proposal.                                make to them? As part of this request,                highest in South Carolina, New Mexico,
                                                   Additionally, DOE welcomes                           DOE is interested in any specific                     and Mississippi (17%, 16%, and 15%,
                                                comments on other issues relevant to                    supplemental supporting data regarding                respectively). See CFPB Report, at 10–
                                                the conduct of this process that may not                any changes that commenters may                       12.
                                                specifically be identified in this                      suggest.
                                                document. In particular, DOE notes that                    Additionally, in further researching                  9 The CFPB Report also suggests that

                                                under Executive Order 13771,                            the manufactured housing market, DOE                  manufactured home consumers are particularly
                                                ‘‘Reducing Regulation and Controlling                   has examined additional information                   cost-driven: ‘‘There is evidence that some
                                                                                                        from a variety of sources. Of particular              households who move into manufactured housing
                                                Regulatory Costs,’’ Executive Branch
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                                                                                                                                                              are less satisfied with their homes than those who
                                                agencies such as DOE are directed to                    note is information from the Consumer                 choose to move into site-built housing. These
                                                manage the costs associated with the                    Financial Protection Bureau (‘‘CFPB’’),               results suggest that for at least some households, the
                                                imposition of expenditures required to                  which released a report in 2014 that                  choice to live in a manufactured home may be more
                                                                                                        focused on this particular market.8 That              cost-driven than quality-driven.’’ CFPB,
                                                comply with Federal regulations. See 82                                                                       Manufactured-housing consumer finance in the
                                                                                                        report, ‘‘Manufactured-Housing                        United States, at 22 (September 2014) [hereinafter,
                                                to energy efficiency standards are to confirm                                                                 ‘‘CFPB Report’’] (available at http://
                                                products are in compliance with such standards.           8 See https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201409_   files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201409_cfpb_report_
                                                  7 See supra, note 2.                                  cfpb_report_manufactured-housing.pdf.                 manufactured-housing.pdf).



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                                                38076                    Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 150 / Friday, August 3, 2018 / Proposed Rules

                                                   Further, manufactured home owners                    shaping the standards that DOE                        proposal and whether the standards
                                                are more likely to be older and likely to               ultimately adopts for manufactured                    must be based on the most recent
                                                have lower incomes or net worth. The                    housing and why? If the CFPB’s findings               version of the IECC. Consequently, DOE
                                                median annual income of families living                 are not accurate, what specific                       is seeking comment on a variety of
                                                in manufactured homes is also slightly                  shortcomings do they have and what                    issues related to these factors to help
                                                over $26,000, and the median net worth                  assumptions/changes should DOE apply                  further inform its views regarding the
                                                of these families is $26,000 (a quarter of              when determining the stringency and                   economic impacts related to the
                                                that of families in site-built homes). See              types of standards the agency should                  establishment of energy efficiency
                                                id. at 16–18.                                           establish for manufactured housing?                   standards for manufactured housing,
                                                   The CFPB also made a number of                         b. DOE’s own data from its                          and how those impacts effect use of the
                                                other observations with respect to the                  Residential Energy Consumption Survey                 most recent version of the IECC.
                                                available financial data it examined.                   of 2015 suggests that manufactured                       Issue 3: Manufactured housing
                                                   First, it indicated that the                         housing households pay about 60%                      owners tend to be lower-income than
                                                manufactured home market collapsed in                   more for their energy per square foot                 other homeowners,10 and are also likely
                                                the late 1990s through the early 2000s                  than the entire housing stock. Is this                to finance their manufactured housing
                                                as consumers experienced loan                           estimate accurate—and if so, why? What                purchase using high-rate chattel loans.
                                                repayment difficulties driven by low-                   specific factors contribute to this                   As a result, the Department is
                                                quality manufactured home lending.                      condition? If this estimate is not                    particularly interested in comments and
                                                Following the collapse, at least eight                  accurate, why—what specific factors are               data regarding the affordability of
                                                large lenders exited the manufactured                   being overlooked in the survey that                   manufactured housing and how the
                                                home lending market, some of which                      contribute to this inaccuracy?                        options outlined in this NODA would
                                                drove losses in the secondary market.                                                                         affect upfront manufactured housing
                                                See generally id. at 26–29. At the time                 B. Ownership-Related Costs
                                                                                                                                                              affordability. DOE also seeks comment
                                                of CFPB’s report, sales and production                     DOE’s analysis for its June 2016                   on whether and how the different
                                                remained depressed with an extremely                    proposal considered the economic                      approaches outlined in this NODA
                                                constrained resale market for                           impacts of the proposed standards on                  would differently affect the affordability
                                                manufactured homes. See id. at 6,                       individual manufactured home                          of manufactured homes.
                                                26–28, 37.                                              purchasers. Similar to its approach                      Additionally, as part of this inquiry,
                                                   Second, most manufactured-housing                    toward appliance standards, these                     DOE seeks public input on each of the
                                                purchasers finance between $10,000 and                  analyses focused on the prospect of                   following items:
                                                $80,000, with a loan median of $55,000.                 applying a single, uniform minimum                       a. Affordability is a combination of
                                                See id. at 30. Owners of manufactured                   standard that all manufactured homes of               upfront cost, which may price out some
                                                homes finance different amounts                         a given size (single- or multi-section)               consumers at time of purchase, and
                                                depending on whether they finance the                   and in a given climate zone (i.e., region             operating costs, which will affect all
                                                costs of only the manufactured home or                  of the country would need to meet.                    manufactured housing owners over a
                                                the costs of both the home and the land                 Necessarily, this approach examined the               longer time horizon. The Department
                                                on which it is sited. See id. at 21.                    overall economic impacts in a broad                   seeks comments that provide
                                                   Manufactured home owners who                         fashion by applying a uniform standard                information on how to weigh these
                                                finance their homes tend to pay higher                  to all manufactured housing units                     components in defining ‘‘affordability,’’
                                                interest rates than their site-built home               within a given climate zone and home                  with particular focus on affordability for
                                                counterparts. A key reason for this                     size category. However, the approaches                low-income consumers.
                                                difference is that the vast majority of                 that the Department has taken with                       b. The Department also seeks
                                                manufactured housing stock is titled as                 respect to appliance standards may not                comment on what a reasonable payback
                                                chattel, and as a result is eligible only               be suitable in the case of manufactured               period might be for efficiency in
                                                for chattel financing. Chattel financing                housing, which fills a distinct need for              manufactured homes, and any relevant
                                                is typically offered to purchasers at a                 housing for a particular subset of                    tradeoffs between upfront cost and
                                                significantly higher interest rate than                 consumers. In particular, under the                   payback period that the Department
                                                the rates offered to their site-built home              statutory provision requiring the                     should consider to avoid creating a
                                                counterparts. While some manufactured                   Department to develop standards for                   situation where the upfront cost
                                                home owners who also own the land on                    manufactured housing, the standards                   increases may price consumers out of
                                                which the manufactured home is sited                    must generally be based on the most                   the market for new homes, even if those
                                                may be eligible for mortgage financing,                 recent version of the IECC, except where              costs might be recouped over time.
                                                there is a tradeoff between lower                       DOE finds that the IECC is not cost                   While the cost of site-built home
                                                origination costs with significantly                    effective, or a more stringent standard               efficiency upgrades may be recouped
                                                higher interest rates (chattel loans) and               would be more cost effective. A finding               when an owner sells the home, the same
                                                higher origination costs with                           that standards based on the IECC are not              may not be true of manufactured homes
                                                significantly lower interest rates and                  cost effective or that standards more                 because (1) manufactured housing
                                                greater consumer protections                            stringent than the IECC are cost effective            owners have relatively short tenancies 11
                                                (mortgage). See id. at 23–25.                           would be based on the impact of the
                                                   Issue 2: a. DOE seeks comment                        adoption of the IECC standards on the                    10 ‘‘Certain consumer segments are

                                                regarding the CFPB’s findings. Are these                purchase price of manufactured housing                disproportionately represented among owners and
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                                                findings reasonably accurate or are there               and on total life-cycle construction and              renters of manufactured homes, in particular older
                                                                                                                                                              consumers, consumers that have completed only
                                                other factors that DOE should consider                  operating costs. As a result, the                     high school, households with relatively low
                                                when determining the economic impact                    approach presented by the working                     income, and households with relatively low net
                                                of energy conservation standards on the                 group (and adopted by DOE in its                      worth.’’ CFPB Report, at 13.
                                                                                                                                                                 11 See Consumer Financial Protection Bureau,
                                                ability of purchasers to buy                            proposal) may have inadvertently
                                                                                                                                                              Manufactured-housing consumer finance in the
                                                manufactured homes? Assuming that                       overlooked certain factors and yielded                United States, September 2014 at 42–43: http://
                                                these findings are reasonably accurate,                 an incomplete picture regarding the                   files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201409_cfpb_report_
                                                what role, if any, should they play in                  potential impacts flowing from its                    manufactured-housing.pdf.



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                                                                         Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 150 / Friday, August 3, 2018 / Proposed Rules                                                 38077

                                                and (2) the resale market for                           manufactured housing owners who                       D. Alternative Approaches
                                                manufactured housing is highly                          borrowed different amounts to finance                    DOE is also considering an altogether
                                                constrained,12 such that the original                   their manufactured housing purchase,16                different approach consisting of
                                                owner will likely not recoup upfront                    but do not directly show the                          incremental packages that maximize
                                                efficiency investments if the payback                   distribution of manufactured housing                  energy savings of a manufactured home
                                                period exceeds tenancy. DOE seeks                       prices across the market and the                      within certain incremental cost
                                                additional information from                             percentage of consumers who purchase                  parameters. These options respond to
                                                commenters on the manufactured                          at each price category. DOE is interested             concerns from stakeholders, including
                                                housing resale market that would                        in such information, particularly to the              HUD, regarding the potentially
                                                inform the Department’s consideration                   extent that such information could                    prohibitive upfront costs of its 2016
                                                of what a reasonable payback period                     inform the consideration of threshold                 proposed standards. As a result, this
                                                would be. If available, the Department                  standards.                                            analysis illustrates packages that
                                                also seeks information on the                                                                                 maximize energy savings within
                                                distribution of manufactured housing                    C. Prescriptive and Performance-Based
                                                                                                        Standards                                             incremental cost thresholds of $500,
                                                tenancy rates.                                                                                                $1,000, or $1,500. DOE is seeking
                                                   c. The Department is also interested                    In DOE’s June 2016 standards                       comment on whether any of the cost
                                                in comments that inform whether                         proposal, the agency laid out two                     threshold packages presented here (i.e.
                                                special consideration should be given to                possible approaches it was considering                either $500, $1,000, or $1,500), when
                                                affordability, particularly given that                  at the time. The first option involved                applied as a national standard, would
                                                low-income and older consumers are                      potential prescriptive requirements that              address the concerns of stakeholders
                                                disproportionately represented among                    would apply to a variety of components                regarding the high upfront cost of its
                                                manufactured housing owners.13                          used in constructing the thermal                      2016 proposed standards. Further, DOE
                                                Executive Order 13563, which                            envelope of a given manufactured home.                developed two sets of cost threshold
                                                reinforces the principles of Executive                  These requirements laid out prescribed                packages: One set includes envelope
                                                Order 12866, indicates that agencies                    specifications related to thermal                     and duct sealing as options to include
                                                ‘‘may consider (and discuss                             resistance (R-value) for wall, ceiling,               in the cost threshold packages, and one
                                                qualitatively) values that are difficult or             and floor insulation, thermal                         set does not include envelope and duct
                                                impossible to quantify, including                       transmittance specifications (U-factor)               sealing regardless of cost effectiveness.
                                                equity, human dignity, fairness, and                    for windows, skylights, and doors, and                   Unlike the tiered standards discussed
                                                distributive impacts’’ 14 where                                                                               in this NODA, these cost threshold
                                                                                                        glass glazing (SHGC) requirements. See
                                                appropriate and permitted by law.                                                                             packages illustrate the costs and benefits
                                                                                                        81 FR 39757. These prescriptive levels
                                                   d. The Department seeks data and                                                                           of a potential national standard that
                                                information regarding basing standards                  would vary based on the climate zone
                                                                                                        in which the home is located. 81 FR                   would apply across the fleet of
                                                on the most recent version of the IECC,                                                                       manufactured homes. However, given
                                                in particular, whether standards based                  39766. The second option presented a
                                                                                                        potential performance-based approach                  the Department’s interest in tailoring its
                                                on the most recent version of the IECC                                                                        standards to consumers with differing
                                                would not be cost effective or that                     that would establish a maximum overall
                                                                                                        thermal transmittance for requirement                 preferences and needs, DOE is also
                                                standards more stringent than the most                                                                        soliciting comments on whether it can
                                                recent version of the IECC would be cost                for the building structure’s thermal
                                                                                                        envelope (Uo) and set additional                      employ a tiered approach to these
                                                effective, in either case based on the                                                                        standards, wherein the $500, $1,000,
                                                impact of the adoption of the IECC                      U-factor and SHGC requirements. See
                                                                                                        id. Like with the prescriptive approach,              and $1,500 cost packages could be
                                                standards on the purchase price of                                                                            applied to, or offered as an option for,
                                                manufactured housing and on total life-                 these requirements would also vary by
                                                                                                        climate zone.                                         various segments of the market for
                                                cycle construction and operating costs.                                                                       manufactured homes.
                                                   Issue 4: DOE is aware that efficiency                   In addition to these approaches, DOE                  The Department also recognizes the
                                                standards for manufactured housing                      also considered including provisions for              value of providing accurate information
                                                may affect consumers in different                       determining U-factor, R-value, SHGC,                  on potential energy savings. In addition
                                                regions differently, and seeks                          and Uo. It also considered establishing               to being low incremental or additional
                                                information on (1) the disparate regional               prescriptive requirements for                         cost to manufacturers, better informed
                                                effects of a standard, and (2) whether                  installation of insulation and sealing the            consumers are empowered to make
                                                these effects are mitigated by use of                   building’s thermal envelope and duct                  choices that meet their individual needs
                                                tiered standards or a tiered labeling                   system to limit air leakage, which would              for energy savings within their own
                                                program.                                                in turn reduce potential thermal losses.              personal economic circumstances. This
                                                   Issue 5: DOE seeks to better                         See id.                                               approach builds on the guidance in
                                                understand the market for manufactured                     Issue 6: DOE is interested in feedback             Executive Order 12866, which instructs
                                                homes. Available sources provide                        regarding whether any aspects of its                  each agency to identify opportunities to
                                                information regarding the average or                    2016 proposal need further                            provide information the public can use
                                                median manufactured housing purchase                    consideration and if so, why. For                     to make informed choices.17 To this
                                                price 15 or the proportion of                           comments pointing to weaknesses or                    end, the Department is considering a
                                                   12 Kevin Jewell. ‘‘Manufactured Housing
                                                                                                        strengths with respect to DOE’s                       tiered labeling approach that would
                                                                                                        proposal, the agency seeks any                        classify various levels of energy savings
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                                                Appreciation: Stereotypes and Data.’’ Consumers
                                                Union, Southwest Regional Office. May 2003. Page        supporting data in addition to that                   based on stringency and categorize these
                                                6. http://consumersunion.org/pdf/                       which DOE has already made public as                  options within certain tiers, such as a
                                                manufacturedhousing/Appreciation.pdf.                   part of the manufactured housing
                                                   13 See footnote 10, supra.
                                                                                                                                                              Brass, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and
                                                   14 Executive Order 13563, Section 1(c), 76 FR
                                                                                                        standards rulemaking docket.                          Platinum tier, wherein the Platinum tier
                                                3821 (January 21, 2011).
                                                   15 See U.S. Census Bureau, Cost and Size              16 See Consumer Financial Protection Bureau,           17 Executive Order 12866, ‘‘Regulatory Planning

                                                Comparison: New Manufactured Homes and Single-          Manufactured-housing consumer finance in the          and Review,’’ 58 FR 51735 (October 4, 1993)
                                                Family Site Built Homes (2007–2014), for example.       United States, September 2014, for example.           (Section 1(b)(3)).



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                                                38078                    Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 150 / Friday, August 3, 2018 / Proposed Rules

                                                would represent the most efficient                      limit established in accordance with                  manufactured housing structures. The
                                                products on the market and Brass would                  Section 2(b)(1)(C) of the National                    Department is seeking comments on the
                                                represent the least efficient.                          Housing Act, 12 U.S.C. 1703(b)(1)(C),                 benefit of providing consumers with
                                                   Consequently, DOE is evaluating the                  plus 5% (Title I Loan Limits). (Currently             such information, which preserves
                                                following options:                                      = $73,162 or 1.05 × $69,678.) Similarly,              consumer choice, and the best way to
                                                   Package 1—This package would                         under this package, DOE would apply a                 provide consumers with information
                                                maximize the energy savings of a                        higher price threshold ($294,515) under               that they can easily understand and put
                                                manufactured home at an upfront cost                    the same conditions—i.e. cost level and               to use.
                                                of either $500, $1,000, or $1,500. The                  purchase price (not including land                       a. What information is available to
                                                accompanying analysis illustrates the                   costs)—that would encourage (but not                  consumers when they make
                                                associated lifecycle costs and payback                  require) manufactured housing at a                    manufactured housing purchasing
                                                period for each potential standard level                certain price to meet DOE’s standards.                decisions, and what additional
                                                across climate zones.18 This package                    For all other manufactured housing that               information would be useful? Further,
                                                would exclude envelope and duct                         exceeds this level, DOE could apply one               how can the Department add value in
                                                sealing to maximize energy savings                      of the package approaches described                   the provision and display of
                                                under any of the cost threshold options                 under Packages 1 through 4.                           information?
                                                examined.                                                  In evaluating these various options,
                                                   Package 2—Like Package 1, this                       DOE is considering a scenario where                      b. DOE seeks comments regarding
                                                package would maximize the energy                       manufacturers continue to offer more                  whether access to information is a
                                                savings of a manufactured home at an                    economical versions of manufactured                   barrier to manufactured housing
                                                upfront cost of either $500, $1,000, or                 homes for certain segments of the                     consumers, and if so, what is the
                                                $1,500. The accompanying analysis                       market that are currently available but               magnitude of this barrier (i.e. to what
                                                illustrates the associated lifecycle costs              that may not necessarily fall into one of             extent does the lack of information
                                                and payback period for each potential                   the cost incremental categories                       prevent consumers from purchasing
                                                standard level across climate zones.19                  described above. A regime in which                    efficient homes)?
                                                Unlike Package 1, this package would                    manufacturers continue to offer those                    Issue 9: DOE is also considering a
                                                allow envelope and duct sealing to                      manufactured homes that are currently                 number of approaches that would
                                                maximize energy savings under all of                    available on the market as well as                    increase consumer access to information
                                                the cost threshold options examined.                    variants at greater levels of efficiency              and increase the efficiency of
                                                   Package 3—Rather than setting a                      would allow particularly price sensitive              manufactured homes.
                                                national standard within a specified                    individuals who may not have the                         a. In weighing these approaches, the
                                                cost threshold, this option would create                financial means to pursue other housing               Department seeks comment on the
                                                a framework where several different                     options to maintain their ability to                  advantages and disadvantages of using a
                                                tiers of energy efficiency would be                     purchase a manufactured home of their                 tiered approach for efficiency standards
                                                offered to consumers based on their                     choice while also allowing those with                 versus using a single national standard
                                                particular needs and pricing                            greater means who desire increased                    that would apply to all manufactured
                                                sensitivities. These tiers would be based               energy efficiency to purchase a                       homes within a single climate zone.
                                                on cost increments, which, for purposes                 manufactured home that suits their                    DOE also seeks information regarding
                                                of DOE’s current analysis, would be                     desires. Under any of these scenarios,                what a labeling framework would need
                                                based on $500 increments with a cap at                  DOE would consider developing a                       to consider if a tiered approach were
                                                $1,500.                                                 labeling framework to inform consumers                used and what the costs of such an
                                                   Package 4—This package would                         regarding these options. DOE also seeks               approach would likely be. The
                                                require each manufactured home to                       comment on implementing a tiered                      Department further seeks comment on
                                                include a label prior to sale indicating                labeling system in conjunction with the               the advantages and disadvantages of
                                                expected energy use and savings. The                    other options discussed in this                       using a tiered approach to labeling
                                                labeling system would be tiered in the                  document to address any potential                     requirements versus a single national
                                                sense that different levels of energy                   information asymmetry and preserve                    labeling standard for manufactured
                                                savings would be labeled differently,                   consumer choice.                                      homes.
                                                such as by being categorized with a                        Issue 7: DOE seeks comment on
                                                                                                        whether it should consider and                           b. Within the tiered options discussed
                                                Brass, Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum                                                                      above, the Department seeks public
                                                rating. These tiers would be based on                   implement a cost-based tier structure
                                                                                                        with respect to regulating the energy                 input on what the appropriate criteria
                                                potential energy savings. The                                                                                 are to use for establishing thresholds
                                                Department is considering this package                  efficiency of manufactured housing.
                                                                                                        DOE notes that a tiered approach could                (e.g., price, cost, region, etc.) and how
                                                in conjunction with any of the other                                                                          best to define these criteria (e.g.,
                                                alternatives discussed above or with                    better address some of the concerns that
                                                                                                        may exist with respect to the first-time              manufacturer added cost, retail price,
                                                potential alternatives that may be                                                                            etc.). DOE also seeks public input on
                                                suggested in response to this request for               costs that purchasers may encounter
                                                                                                        with more efficient—but more                          other factors that it should consider
                                                comment.                                                                                                      when establishing tiered standards.
                                                   Package 5—Finally, to ensure that                    expensive—manufactured homes. If so,
                                                manufactured housing continues to be a                  why—and if not, why not?                                 With respect to tightening a
                                                viable source for affordable housing,                      Issue 8: Consumers may fail to                     manufactured home’s building
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                                                this package would exclude all                          optimize the efficiency of their homes                envelope, the agency notes that this
                                                manufactured homes with a cost level                    due to a lack of available information on             technique appears to be a cost-effective
                                                and retail purchase price (not including                the benefits of energy savings.                       way to increase energy efficiency.
                                                land costs) equal to or less than the loan              Recognizing this, the NODA presents an                However, many previous commenters,
                                                                                                        option that would provide tiered                      including HUD’s Manufactured Housing
                                                  18 See https://www.regulations.gov/                   labeling for consumers to compare and                 Consensus Committee, raised the
                                                document?D=EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021-0200.                   contrast information on upfront costs                 possibility that sealing requirements
                                                  19 See footnote 18, supra.                            and long-term energy savings across                   may pose challenges for indoor air


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                                                                         Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 150 / Friday, August 3, 2018 / Proposed Rules                                          38079

                                                quality.20 Degraded indoor air quality                  proposed climate zones, should these                  distribution channels that interface with
                                                could introduce additional costs in                     zones be reconsidered—and if so, why?                 prospective purchasers.
                                                terms of health and safety or operation                 Should DOE use HUD’s existing climate
                                                                                                                                                              III. Submission of Comments
                                                and maintenance that may impede the                     zones? If DOE were to develop its own
                                                cost efficacy of these approaches.                      climate zones, what factors should it                    DOE invites all interested parties to
                                                   Previous commenters have submitted                   consider in doing so? What factors                    submit in writing by the date listed in
                                                existing literature on manufactured                     would support the continued use of the                DATES, comments and information on
                                                housing indoor air quality, including a                 proposed climate zones and how do                     matters addressed in this notice and on
                                                report from the Centers for Disease                     those factors weigh against using HUD’s               other matters relevant to DOE’s
                                                Control and Prevention (‘‘CDC’’), an                    existing climate zones or in favor of                 consideration of energy conservation
                                                agency within the Department of Health                  adjusting them further?                               standards for manufactured housing.
                                                and Human Services (‘‘HHS’’). The CDC                                                                         These comments and information will
                                                                                                        E. Compliance Lead-Times                              aid in the development of energy
                                                report, which was prepared in
                                                conjunction with HUD, found generally                      The June 2016 proposal used a                      conservation standards for these
                                                that indoor air can contain a number of                 compliance date lead-time of one year                 structures.
                                                contaminants that contribute to health                  from the publication of a final rule. DOE                Submitting comments via http://
                                                complaints, and that indoor air quality                 proposed a lead-time of one year under                www.regulations.gov. The http://
                                                is of particular concern in manufactured                the belief that this amount of time                   www.regulations.gov web page will
                                                housing due to its confined spaces and,                 would be sufficient to allow                          require you to provide your name and
                                                in some cases, lower ventilation and air                manufacturers to transition their                     contact information. Your contact
                                                exchange rates.21 In addition, the CDC                  designs, materials, and factory                       information will be viewable to DOE
                                                                                                        operations and processes to comply                    Building Technologies staff only. Your
                                                report found that ‘‘manufactured
                                                                                                                                                              contact information will not be publicly
                                                structures with relatively less air                     with the finalized version of the energy
                                                                                                                                                              viewable except for your first and last
                                                circulation may develop higher levels of                conservation standards that DOE
                                                                                                                                                              names, organization name (if any), and
                                                indoor contaminants.’’ However,                         considered adopting. In light of the
                                                                                                                                                              submitter representative name (if any).
                                                comprehensive data on air quality in                    amount of time that has elapsed since
                                                                                                                                                              If your comment is not processed
                                                manufactured homes was unavailable at                   the date of DOE’s June 2016 proposal,
                                                                                                                                                              properly because of technical
                                                the time of CDC’s report.22                             and the possibility that the agency may
                                                                                                                                                              difficulties, DOE will use this
                                                   Issue 10: Is new information available               explore an alternative approach for
                                                                                                                                                              information to contact you. If DOE
                                                on the relationship between tightening                  regulating the energy efficiency of
                                                                                                                                                              cannot read your comment due to
                                                the home envelope and indoor air                        manufactured homes through the use of
                                                                                                                                                              technical difficulties and cannot contact
                                                quality? If so, what is the nature of that              a tiered system along with variants of                you for clarification, DOE may not be
                                                information, why should DOE consider                    DOE’s earlier proposal that would rely                able to consider your comment.
                                                it, and how should the agency integrate                 on HUD’s three climate zones, DOE is                     However, your contact information
                                                it into its analyses?                                   interested in soliciting public comment               will be publicly viewable if you include
                                                   Issue 11: DOE is particularly                        on whether its proposed lead-time                     it in the comment or in any documents
                                                interested in baseline measures of air                  remains appropriate.                                  attached to your comment. Any
                                                flow in recently-built manufactured                        Issue 14: Should DOE continue to                   information that you do not want to be
                                                housing against which to measure any                    apply a one year lead-time to the energy              publicly viewable should not be
                                                potential reductions in air changes per                 conservation standards for                            included in your comment, nor in any
                                                hour (‘‘ACH’’). DOE also seeks                          manufactured housing? Does the                        document attached to your comment.
                                                information related to what the                         approach—i.e. single uniform national                 Persons viewing comments will see only
                                                appropriate ACH threshold is for                        standard versus a multi-tiered national               first and last names, organization
                                                maintaining adequate indoor air                         standard—impact the amount of lead-                   names, correspondence containing
                                                quality.23                                              time manufacturers would require to                   comments, and any documents
                                                   Issue 12: What potential health and                  meet the applicable standards? If so,                 submitted with the comments.
                                                safety costs of incremental reductions in               why—and if not, why not? If DOE were                     Do not submit to http://
                                                ACH and/or indoor air quality should                    to adopt an approach that presented                   www.regulations.gov information for
                                                the Department consider when                            different compliance options in the form              which disclosure is restricted by statute,
                                                evaluating this approach and why?                       of cost-based tiers, would manufacturers              such as trade secrets and commercial or
                                                What steps should DOE consider taking                   require more, less, or the same amount                financial information (hereinafter
                                                to reduce these costs while preserving                  of lead-time as the agency’s proposal                 referred to as Confidential Business
                                                indoor air quality for manufactured                     (i.e. one year)? Why or why not?                      Information (‘‘CBI’’)). Comments
                                                home residents and what disadvantages,                     Issue 15: With respect to the                      submitted through http://
                                                if any, are there to each of these specific             manufactured housing standards that                   www.regulations.gov cannot be claimed
                                                steps?                                                  DOE promulgates, DOE seeks comment                    as CBI. Comments received through the
                                                   Issue 13: Regarding the overall                      on what enforcement mechanism would                   website will waive any CBI claims for
                                                structure of DOE’s approach to its                      be the most appropriate to apply and                  the information submitted. For
                                                                                                        why. In considering enforcement                       information on submitting CBI, see the
                                                   20 https://www.regulations.gov/
                                                                                                        mechanisms, DOE is interested in                      Confidential Business Information
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                                                document?D=EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021-0162.
                                                   21 CDC and HHS. Safety and Health in                 information concerning the burden and                 section.
                                                Manufactured Structures (2011) [hereinafter,            cost impacts for suggested approach(es),                 DOE processes submissions made
                                                ‘‘Safety and Health’’].                                 as well as the compliance lead-time                   through http://www.regulations.gov
                                                   22 Safety and Health, at p. 25.
                                                                                                        needed by the industry. Further, DOE                  before posting. Normally, comments
                                                   23 As of 2003, ASHRAE and HUD had established
                                                                                                        seeks information as to whether                       will be posted within a few days of
                                                a minimum whole-house ventilation requirement of
                                                0.35 ACH for achieving appropriate indoor air
                                                                                                        enforcement cost of any suggested                     being submitted. However, if large
                                                quality. See https://www.huduser.gov/publications/      approach may extend beyond the                        volumes of comments are being
                                                pdf/moisturereport.pdf.                                 manufacturing industry to the sales and               processed simultaneously, your


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                                                38080                    Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 150 / Friday, August 3, 2018 / Proposed Rules

                                                comment may not be viewable for up to                      Factors of interest to DOE when                    to amend its rules of practice and
                                                several weeks. Please keep the comment                  evaluating requests to treat submitted                procedure to remove duplicative,
                                                tracking number that http://                            information as confidential include (1) a             descriptive regulatory language related
                                                www.regulations.gov provides after you                  description of the items, (2) whether                 to civil money penalty (CMP) amounts
                                                have successfully uploaded your                         and why such items are customarily                    that restates existing statutory language
                                                comment.                                                treated as confidential within the                    regarding such CMPs, codify Congress’s
                                                   Submitting comments via email, hand                  industry, (3) whether the information is              recent change to CMP inflation-
                                                delivery, or mail. Comments and                         generally known by or available from                  adjustments in the FDIC’s regulations,
                                                documents submitted via email, hand                     other sources, (4) whether the                        and direct readers to an annually
                                                delivery, or mail also will be posted to                information has previously been made                  published notice in the Federal
                                                http://www.regulations.gov. If you do                   available to others without obligation                Register—rather than the Code of
                                                not want your personal contact                          concerning its confidentiality, (5) an                Federal Regulations (CFR)—for
                                                information to be publicly viewable, do                 explanation of the competitive injury to              information regarding the maximum
                                                not include it in your comment or any                   the submitting person which would                     CMP amounts that can be assessed after
                                                accompanying documents. Instead,                        result from public disclosure, (6) when               inflation adjustments. These revisions
                                                provide your contact information on a                   such information might lose its                       are intended to simplify the CFR by
                                                cover letter. Include your first and last               confidential character due to the                     removing unnecessary and redundant
                                                names, email address, telephone                         passage of time, and (7) why disclosure               text and to make it easier for readers to
                                                number, and optional mailing address.                   of the information would be contrary to               locate the current, inflation-adjusted
                                                The cover letter will not be publicly                   the public interest.                                  maximum CMP amounts by presenting
                                                viewable as long as it does not include                    It is DOE’s policy that all comments               these amounts in an annually published
                                                any comments.                                           may be included in the public docket,                 chart. Additionally, the FDIC proposes
                                                   Include contact information each time                without change and as received,                       to correct four errors and revise cross-
                                                you submit comments, data, documents,                   including any personal information                    references currently found in its rules of
                                                and other information to DOE. If you                    provided in the comments (except                      practice and procedure.
                                                submit via mail or hand delivery, please                information deemed to be exempt from
                                                                                                        public disclosure).                                   DATES: Comments must be received by
                                                provide all items on a CD, if feasible. It                                                                    October 2, 2018.
                                                                                                           DOE considers public participation to
                                                is not necessary to submit printed
                                                                                                        be a very important part of the process               ADDRESSES: You may submit comments,
                                                copies. No facsimiles (faxes) will be
                                                                                                        for developing test procedures and                    identified by RIN 3064–AE75, by any of
                                                accepted.
                                                                                                        energy conservation standards. DOE                    the following methods:
                                                   Comments, data, and other                            actively encourages the participation
                                                information submitted to DOE                                                                                     • Agency website: http://
                                                                                                        and interaction of the public during the              www.fdic.gov/regulations/laws/Federal/.
                                                electronically should be provided in                    comment period in each stage of the
                                                PDF (preferred), Microsoft Word or                                                                            Follow the instructions for submitting
                                                                                                        rulemaking process. Interactions with                 comments on the Agency website.
                                                Excel, WordPerfect, or text (ASCII) file                and between members of the public
                                                format. Provide documents that are not                                                                           • Email: Comments@fdic.gov. Include
                                                                                                        provide a balanced discussion of the
                                                secured, written in English and free of                                                                       the RIN 3064–AE75 in the subject line
                                                                                                        issues and assist DOE in the rulemaking
                                                any defects or viruses. Documents                                                                             of the message.
                                                                                                        process. Anyone who wishes to be
                                                should not contain special characters or                added to the DOE mailing list to receive                 • Mail: Robert E. Feldman, Executive
                                                any form of encryption and, if possible,                future notices and information about                  Secretary, Attention: Comments, Federal
                                                they should carry the electronic                        this process should contact Appliance                 Deposit Insurance Corporation, 550 17th
                                                signature of the author.                                and Equipment Standards Program staff                 Street NW, Washington, DC 20429.
                                                   Campaign form letters. Please submit                 at (202) 287–1445 or via email at                        • Hand Delivery: Comments may be
                                                campaign form letters by the originating                Manufactured_Housing@ee.doe.gov.                      hand-delivered to the guard station at
                                                organization in batches of between 50 to                                                                      the rear of the 550 17th Street Building
                                                                                                          Signed in Washington, DC, on July 31,
                                                500 form letters per PDF or as one form                                                                       (located on F Street) on business days
                                                                                                        2018.
                                                letter with a list of supporters’ names                                                                       between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.
                                                                                                        Cathy Tripodi,
                                                compiled into one or more PDFs. This                                                                             Public Inspection: All comments
                                                reduces comment processing and                          Acting Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency
                                                                                                        and Renewable Energy.                                 received must include the agency name
                                                posting time.                                                                                                 and RIN for this rulemaking. All
                                                                                                        [FR Doc. 2018–16650 Filed 8–2–18; 8:45 am]
                                                   Confidential Business Information.                                                                         comments received will be posted
                                                                                                        BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
                                                According to 10 CFR 1004.11, any                                                                              without change to http://www.fdic.gov/
                                                person submitting information that he                                                                         regulations/laws/Federal/—including
                                                or she believes to be confidential and                                                                        any personal information provided—for
                                                exempt by law from public disclosure                    FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE                             public inspection. Paper copies of
                                                should submit via email, postal mail, or                CORPORATION                                           public comments may be ordered from
                                                hand delivery two well-marked copies:                                                                         the FDIC Public Information Center,
                                                                                                        12 CFR Parts 308 and 327
                                                One copy of the document marked                                                                               3501 North Fairfax Drive, Room E–1002,
                                                confidential including all the                          RIN 3064–AE75                                         Arlington, VA 22226 by telephone at
                                                information believed to be confidential,                                                                      (877) 275–3342 or (703) 562–2200.
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                                                and one copy of the document marked                     Rules of Practice and Procedure
                                                                                                                                                              FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                                ‘‘non-confidential’’ with the information               AGENCY: Federal Deposit Insurance                     Graham N. Rehrig, Senior Attorney,
                                                believed to be confidential deleted.                    Corporation.                                          Legal Division, (202) 898–3829,
                                                Submit these documents via email or on                  ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking                 grehrig@fdic.gov, or Sydney Mayer,
                                                a CD, if feasible. DOE will make its own                and request for comments.                             Attorney, Legal Division, (202) 898–
                                                determination about the confidential
                                                                                                                                                              3669.
                                                status of the information and treat it                  SUMMARY:  The Federal Deposit
                                                according to its determination.                         Insurance Corporation (FDIC) proposes                 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:



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Document Created: 2018-11-06 10:34:49
Document Modified: 2018-11-06 10:34:49
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionProposed Rules
ActionNotice of data availability; request for information.
DatesWritten comments and information are requested and will be accepted on or before September 17, 2018.
ContactMs. Sofie Miller, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Office, EE-5B, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 287-1943. Email: [email protected]
FR Citation83 FR 38073 
RIN Number1904-AC11

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