[Federal Register: June 1, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 105)]
[Notices]
[Page 31174-31176]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01jn06-49]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Energy Information Administration
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
AGENCY: Energy Information Administration (EIA), Department of Energy
(DOE).
ACTION: Agency information collection activities: Proposed collection;
Comment request.
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SUMMARY: The EIA is soliciting comments on the proposed reinstatement
of the Form EIA-846(A)(B)(C), ``Manufacturing Energy Consumption
Survey.''
DATES: Comments must be filed by July 31, 2006. If you anticipate
difficulty in submitting comments within that period, contact the
person listed below as soon as possible.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to Tom Lorenz. To ensure receipt of the
comments by the due date, submission by FAX (202-586-0018) or e-mail
Thomas.Lorenz@eia.doe.gov) is recommended. The mailing address is
Office of Energy Markets and End Use, Energy Consumption Division, EI-
63, Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC
20585. Alternatively, Mr. Lorenz may be contacted by telephone at 202-
586-3442.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
copies of Internet or paper forms and instructions should be directed
to Tom Lorenz 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, as part of its effort to comply with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), provides
the general public and other Federal agencies with opportunities to
comment on collections of energy information conducted by or in
conjunction with the EIA. Any comments received help the EIA to prepare
data requests that maximize the utility of the information collected,
and to assess the impact of collection requirements on the public.
Also, the EIA will later seek approval by the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) under section 3507(a) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995.
The Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS) is a self-
administered sample survey designed to collect energy consumption and
expenditures data from establishments in the manufacturing sector;
i.e., North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes 31-
33. There are three MECS data collection forms and their use depends on
an establishment's primary business activity classification under
NAICS. Form EIA-846A collects information for all the manufacturing
industries contained within NAICS 31-33 except for NAICS 321, 322, 324,
325, and 331111. Form EIA-846B is for establishments operating
primarily in the petroleum refining industry (NAICS 324110). Form EIA-
846C is for
[[Page 31175]]
establishments in NAICS 321, 322, 324 (except 324110), 325 and 331111.
The 2006 MECS will collect information during 2007 for business
activities in calendar year 2006. For the 2006 MECS, EIA proposes to
collect the following data from each MECS establishment: (1) For each
energy source consumed--consumption (total, fuel and nonfuel uses) and
the expenditures for each energy source, energy storage (as
applicable), and energy produced onsite; (2) energy end uses; (3) fuel-
switching capabilities; (4) general energy-saving technologies; (5)
energy management activities; and (6) square footage and number of
buildings in the establishment.
The MECS has been conducted six times previously, covering the
years 1985, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1998, and 2002. In all six survey years,
the MECS has collected baseline data on manufacturers' energy
consumption and expenditures. The MECS collected data on fuel-switching
capabilities in all years except 1998. In the 1991, 1994, 1998, and
2002 surveys, the MECS also collected data on end-uses, energy
management technologies, building square footage, and energy-saving
technologies.
The MECS information is the basis for data and analytic products
that can be found at http://www.eia.doe .gov/emeu /mecs. Also on this
website are past publications, articles, and a special analytic series,
``Industry Analysis Briefs.'' The 2006 MECS will also be used to
benchmark EIA's industry forecasting model and update changes in the
energy intensity and greenhouse gases data series.
The proposed 2006 MECS uses experience gained from the
administration and processing of the six previous surveys and past
consultations with respondents, trade association representatives, and
data users.
II. Current Actions
EIA proposes making several changes from the 2002 MECS for use in
the 2006 MECS. The first substantial change for the 2006 MECS is
collecting the data primarily through the Internet instead of though a
paper and pencil method. This change, in part, has occurred because of
the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) which requires EIA, as
of October 21, 2003, to allow establishments the option to submit and
maintain information electronically. EIA anticipates that this
electronic method will save time and money in the submission and
processing of the data. There will still be an option for those
manufacturing establishments who do not have Internet access to
complete the 2006 survey using the standard paper method.
The persisting energy prices volatility since the 2002 survey has
prompted EIA to not only continue to collect fuel-switching data for
the 2006 survey, but to expand it with a few more questions being
asked. EIA plans to ask about the limitations that would make fuel
switching impractical. This reporting would help EIA better understand
what factors, if any, play a role in the capability of a manufacturing
establishment to fuel-switch. EIA is also planning to add a question to
obtain data about what price differences among fuels would likely
trigger a switch.
EIA is working with the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy (EERE) at DOE to reform the questions in the Energy Management
and General Technologies sections on the MECS. Pending funding from
EERE the questions plan to target energy efficiency activities at the
manufacturing establishment. The data collected would help EIA and DOE
to develop manufacturing energy efficiency improvements. These will be
``Yes''/ ``No'' questions that should not greatly increase response
burden.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has requested to include
questions on the MECS relating to manufacturing water consumption.
Pending funding from EPA and EIA and OMB approval, these questions plan
to target general water consumption at manufacturing establishments.
These questions, which focus on water use, are not to be confused with
the Industrial Hot Water section that is currently collected by the
MECS, which focuses on the energy content of the water.
The increased response burden for the added energy efficiency
activities and fuel switching questions will be offset by the planned
removal of the onsite electricity generation ownership questions from
the 2002 survey. Also, EIA plans to eliminate all of the steam and
industrial hot water questions from the 2002 survey except for
purchases, generation from renewable energy sources, and sales and
transfers offsite, which will still be collected for the 2006 survey.
EIA believes that collecting data through the Internet will lessen the
response burden because it will be easier to use and faster to complete
the questionnaire than the traditional paper method.
Besides the changes already discussed, the content of the 2006 MECS
will be largely unchanged from the 2002 survey. Most respondents will
submit their data electronically in a question-answer format as opposed
to the spreadsheet format used in the past. The MECS information
products will continue to present industry-by-Census Region level data
as well as national data.
III. Request for Comments
Prospective respondents and other interested parties should comment
on the actions discussed in item II. The following guidelines are
provided to assist in the preparation of comments. Please indicate to
which form(s) your comments apply.
General Issues
A. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the
proper performance of the functions of the agency and does the
information have practical utility? Practical utility is defined as the
actual usefulness of information to or for an agency, taking into
account its accuracy, adequacy, reliability, timeliness, and the
agency's ability to process the information it collects.
B. What enhancements can be made to the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be collected?
As a Potential Respondent to the Request for Information
A. What actions could be taken to help ensure and maximize the
quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information to be
collected?
B. Are the instructions and definitions clear and sufficient? If
not, which instructions need clarification?
C. Can the information be submitted by the due date?
D. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to
average eight hours per response for Form EIA-846A, seven hours per
response for Form EIA-846B, and nine hours per response for Form EIA-
846C. The estimated burden includes the total time necessary to provide
the requested information. In your opinion, how accurate is this
estimate?
E. The agency estimates that the only cost to a respondent is for
the time it will take to complete the collection. Will a respondent
incur any start-up costs for reporting, or any recurring annual costs
for operation, maintenance, and purchase of services associated with
the information collection?
F. What additional actions could be taken to minimize the burden of
this collection of information? Such actions may involve the use of
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
G. Does any other Federal, State, or local agency collect similar
information? If so, specify the agency, the data
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element(s), and the methods of collection.
As a Potential User of the Information To Be Collected
A. What actions could be taken to help ensure and maximize the
quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information
disseminated?
B. Is the information useful at the levels of detail to be
collected?
C. For what purpose(s) would the information be used? Be specific.
D. Are there alternate sources for the information and are they
useful? If so, what are their weaknesses and/or strengths?
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of the form. They also
will become a matter of public record.
Statutory Authority: Section 3507(h)(1) of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. No. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).
Issued in Washington, DC, May 24, 2006.
Jay H. Casselberry,
Agency Clearance Officer, Energy Information Administration.
[FR Doc. E6-8496 Filed 5-31-06; 8:45 am]
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