[Federal Register: February 17, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 31)]
[Notices]
[Page 7458-7459]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17fe04-46]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Energy Information Administration
Policy Statement. Solicitation of Comments on the Disclosure
Limitation Policy for Statistical Information Based on Renewable Fuels
Survey Data
AGENCY: Energy Information Administration (EIA), Department of Energy
(DOE).
ACTION: Policy Statement. Solicitation of Comments on the Disclosure
Limitation Policy for Statistical Information Based on Renewable Fuels
Survey Data.
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SUMMARY: The EIA is requesting comments on the disclosure limitation
policy for statistical information based on renewables fuels data
collected on Forms EIA-63A (``Annual Solar Thermal Collector
Manufacturers Survey''), EIA-63B (``Annual Photovoltaic Module/Cell
Manufacturers Survey''), and EIA-902 (``Annual Geothermal Heat Pump
Manufacturers Survey''). EIA's policy will be to only apply disclosure
limitation methods to statistics based on financial data reported on
those forms. For statistics based on nonfinancial data reported on the
forms, EIA will not apply disclosure limitation methods. EIA will
continue to protect information collected under a pledge of
confidentiality by not publicly releasing respondent-level survey data
directly linked to names or other identifiers. This proposed policy is
based on EIA's mandate for carrying out a central, comprehensive, and
unified energy data and information program responsive to users' needs
for credible, reliable, and timely energy information that will improve
and broaden understanding of energy in the United States.
DATES: Comments must be filed by March 18, 2004. If you anticipate
difficulty in submitting comments within that period, contact the
person listed below as soon as possible.
ADDRESSES: Comments on this policy should be directed to Fred Mayes,
Chief of EIA's Renewables Information Team. To ensure receipt of the
comments by the due date, submission by FAX (202-287-1964) or e-mail
fred.mayes@eia.doe.gov) is recommended. The mailing address is
Renewables Information Team (EI-52), Forrestal Building, U.S.
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC
20585-0650. Alternatively, Mr. Mayes may be contacted by telephone at
(202) 287-1750.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information
should be directed to Mr. Mayes at the address listed above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
II. Current Actions
III. Request for Comments
I. Background
The Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. No. 93-275,
15 U.S.C. 761 et seq.) and the DOE Organization Act (Pub. L. No. 95-91,
42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) require the EIA to carry out a centralized,
comprehensive, and unified energy information program. This program
collects, evaluates, assembles, analyzes, and disseminates information
on energy resource reserves, production, demand, technology, and
related economic and statistical information. This information is used
to assess the adequacy of energy resources to meet near and longer-term
domestic demands.
The EIA provides the public and other Federal agencies with
opportunities to comment on collections of energy information conducted
by EIA. As appropriate, EIA also requests comments on important issues
relevant to the dissemination of energy information. Comments received
help the EIA when preparing information collections and information
products necessary to support EIA's mission.
EIA sponsors three surveys that collect information about the
manufacturer and distribution of renewable fuels equipment. Statistics
based on data from these three surveys are used to analyze the
renewables fuels situation in the U.S.
Form EIA-63A collects data on shipments of solar thermal collectors
by end use and market sector. Collector types include low-temperature,
medium-temperature air, medium-temperature liquid, high temperature,
and other. EIA-63A respondents are manufacturers, importers, and
exporters of solar thermal collectors.
Form EIA-63B collects data on shipments of photovoltaic modules/
cells by end use and market sector. Module/cell types include
crystalline silicon, thin film, concentrator, and ``other''. EIA-63B
respondents are manufacturers, importers, and exporters of photovoltaic
modules/cells.
Form EIA-902 collects data on shipments of geothermal heat pumps by
type, end use, and sector. EIA-902 respondents are geothermal heat pump
manufacturers.
Forms EIA-63A, 63B, and 902 are collected under a pledge of
confidentiality. EIA does not publicly release the names or other
identifiers of the survey respondents linked to their submitted data.
For statistics based on financial data (e.g., value of shipments), EIA
applies disclosure limitation. However, for all statistics based on
nonfinancial data (e.g., number of units shipped), EIA does not apply
disclosure limitation.
When used, disclosure limitation methods are designed to minimize
the possibility that individually-identifiable information reported by
a survey respondent may be inferred from published statistics. By not
using disclosure limitation methods, a statistic based on nonfinancial
data reported by fewer than three respondents or dominated by
nonfinancial data from one or two large respondents may be used by a
knowledgeable person to estimate data reported by a specific
respondent.
Data collected on Forms EIA-63A, 63B, and 902 are used to meet
EIA's mandates and energy data users' needs for credible, reliable, and
timely energy information on renewable fuels. Adequate evaluation of
renewable fuels issues requires detailed, comprehensive data. Data
collected on the three surveys are used to create statistics
disseminated by EIA in various information products available on EIA's
Web site at http://www.eia.doe.gov/fuelrenewable.html.
EIA's renewable fuels statistics provide Congress, other government
agencies, businesses, trade associations, and private research and
consulting organizations with information for analysis, projections,
and monitoring purposes. To be most effective, EIA's renewable fuels
statistical information must be available by various breakdowns
including unit type, customer type, and economic sector categories.
Given the relatively small number of respondents to each of the
three surveys, certain statistics based primarily on data reported by a
few respondents with large operations, and the need for detailed
renewable fuels statistics, the use of disclosure limitation methods
would result in a large amount of detailed, nonfinancial statistics
being suppressed from public dissemination. The suppressed nonfinancial
statistics would then be
[[Page 7459]]
unavailable to public and private analysts interested in renewable
fuels. Forms EIA-63A, EIA-63B, and EIA-902 respondents have indicated
to EIA staff that financial data are sensitive and estimation of
respondent-level financial data has more potential to cause competitive
harm than for nonfinancial data.
II. Current Actions
The EIA is requesting comments on the disclosure limitation policy
for statistical information based on renewables fuels data collected on
Forms EIA-63A (``Annual Solar Thermal Collector Manufacturers
Survey''), EIA-63B (``Annual Photovoltaic Module/Cell Manufacturers
Survey''), and EIA-902 (``Annual Geothermal Heat Pump Manufacturers
Survey''). EIA proposes to only apply disclosure limitation methods to
statistics based on financial data reported on those forms. For
statistics based on nonfinancial data reported on the forms, EIA will
not apply disclosure limitation methods. EIA will continue to protect
information collected under a pledge of confidentiality by not publicly
releasing respondent-level survey data directly linked to names or
other identifiers. This policy will result in EIA providing the maximum
amount of renewable fuels information to the public, and will
facilitate public understanding of the renewable fuels situation in the
U.S. However, it also means that a knowledgeable person may be able to
estimate the value of selected nonfinancial data reported by specific
respondents.
III. Request for Comments
The public should comment on the actions discussed in item II. The
questions below are the issues on which EIA is seeking public comments.
A. Does EIA's proposed policy to only use disclosure limitation
methods for statistics based on financial data reported on Forms EIA-
63A, EIA-63B, and EIA-902 maximize the utility of the renewable fuels
statistics to data users?
B. Is the possibility that a knowledgeable user might be able to
estimate a respondent's contribution to a nonfinancial statistic an
acceptable risk to Form EIA-63A, EIA-63B, and EIA-902 respondents?
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be considered by
EIA. The comments will also become a matter of public record.
After consideration of the comments, EIA will issue its policy
regarding the use of disclosure limitation methods for renewable fuels
statistical information based on Forms EIA-63A, EIA-63B, and EIA-902
survey data. The policy will be announced in a Federal Register notice
issued by EIA.
Statutory Authority: Section 52 of the Federal Energy
Administration Act (Pub. L. No. 93-275, 15 U.S.C. 790a).
Issued in Washington, DC, February 10, 2004.
Jay H. Casselberry,
Agency Clearance Officer, Statistics and Methods Group, Energy
Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 04-3340 Filed 2-13-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P