[Federal Register: February 17, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 31)]
[Notices]
[Page 7459-7460]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17fe04-47]
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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 Alternative
Fueled Vehicles and Alternative Transportation 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 alternative
fueled vehicles and alternative transportation fuels survey data.
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SUMMARY: The EIA is requesting comments on the disclosure limitation
policy for statistical information based on alternative fueled vehicles
and alternative transportation fuels survey data collected on Form EIA-
886, ``Annual Survey of Alternative Fueled Vehicle Suppliers and
Users.'' EIA policy will be to only apply disclosure limitation methods
to statistics based on projected data reported on Form EIA-886. For
statistics based on historical data reported on Form EIA-886, 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. 93-275, 15
U.S.C. 761 et seq.) and the DOE Organization Act (Pub. L. 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.
Form EIA-886, ``Annual Survey of Alternative Fueled Vehicle
Suppliers and Users,'' is an annual survey collecting information on
the number of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) made available, the
distribution of AFVs in use, and alternative transportation fuels
(ATFs) consumed. Respondents are AFV manufacturers, importers, and
conversion companies, as well as consumers of ATFs.
Form EIA-886 is collected under a pledge of confidentiality. EIA
does not publicly release the names or other
[[Page 7460]]
identifiers of EIA-886 survey respondents linked to their submitted
data. For statistics based on projected data (e.g., data on alternative
fueled vehicles that will be supplied in the upcoming calendar year)
reported on Form EIA-886, EIA applies disclosure limitation. However,
for all statistics based on historical Form EIA-886 data (e.g., data on
alternative fueled vehicles supplied during the report year), 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 historical
data reported on Form EIA-886 by fewer than three respondents or
dominated by historical 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 Form EIA-886 are used to meet EIA's mandates and
energy data users' needs for credible, reliable, and timely energy
information on the types of ATVs supplied, projections of the types
ATVs that will be supplied in the upcoming year, the location of ATVs
in operation, and the types and amounts of ATFs consumed. Adequate
evaluation of ATV/ATF issues requires detailed, comprehensive data.
Data collected on Form EIA-886 are used to create statistics
disseminated by EIA in various information products available on EIA's
Web site at http://www.eia.doe.gov/fuelalternate.html.
EIA's ATV/ATF 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 ATV/ATF
statistical information must be available by various breakdowns
including vehicle, supplier, and user categories.
Given the relatively small number of Form EIA-886 respondents,
certain statistics based primarily on data reported by a few
respondents with large operations, and the need for detailed ATV/ATF
statistics, the use of disclosure limitation methods would result in a
large amount of detailed, historical statistics being suppressed from
public dissemination. The suppressed historical statistics would then
be unavailable to public and private analysts interested in ATVs and
ATFs. Form EIA-886 respondents have indicated to EIA staff that
projected data are sensitive and estimation of respondent-level
projections has more potential to cause competitive harm than for
historical data.
II. Current Actions
The EIA is requesting comments on the disclosure limitation policy
for statistical information based on alternative fueled vehicles and
alternative transportation fuels survey data collected on Form EIA-886,
``Annual Survey of Alternative Fueled Vehicle Suppliers and Users.''
EIA proposes to only apply disclosure limitation methods to statistics
based on projected data reported on Form EIA-886. For statistics based
on historical data reported on Form EIA-886, 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 ATV/ATF information to the public, and will facilitate public
understanding of the ATF/ATV situation in the U.S. However, it also
means that a knowledgeable person may be able to estimate the value of
selected historical 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 projected data reported on Form EIA-886
maximize the utility of the ATV/ATF statistics to data users?
B. Is the possibility that a knowledgeable user might be able to
estimate a respondent's contribution to a historical statistic an
acceptable risk to Form EIA-886 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 alternative
fueled vehicles and alternative transportation fuels statistical
information based on Form EIA-886 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. 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. 04-3341 Filed 2-13-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P