Forms EIA-871A-F, ``1995 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey''

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration

Forms EIA-871A-F, ``1995 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption

Survey''

AGENCY: Energy Information Administration, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Proposed Revision of Forms EIA-871A-F, ``1995

Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS),'' and

Solicitation of Comments.

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SUMMARY: The Energy Information Administration (EIA), as part of its

continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden (required

by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980), conducts a presurvey

consultation program to provide the general public and other Federal

agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing

reporting forms. This program helps to ensure that requested data can

be provided in the desired format, reporting burden is minimized,

reporting forms are clearly understood, and the impact of collection

requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, EIA is

soliciting comments concerning the proposed revision to the Forms EIA-

871A-F, ``1995 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey.''

DATES: Written comments must be submitted within 30 days of the

publication of this notice. If you anticipate that you will be

submitting comments, but find it difficult to do so within the period

of time allowed by this notice, you should advise the contact listed

below of your intention to do so as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Martha Johnson, Project Manager, EI-631,

Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. 20585,

(202) 586-1135, Facsimile (202) 586-0018. Internet:

mjohnsoneia.doe.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Requests for additional information or copies

of the forms and instructions should be directed to Martha Johnson at

the address listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

II. Current Actions

III. Request for Comments

I. Background

In order to fulfill its responsibilities under the Federal Energy

Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-275) and the Department of

Energy Organization Act (Pub. L. 95-91), the Energy Information

Administration is obliged to carry out a central, comprehensive, and

unified energy data and information program. As part of this program,

EIA collects, evaluates, assembles, analyzes, and disseminates data and

information related to energy resource reserves, production, demand,

and technology, and related economic and statistical information

relevant to the adequacy of energy resources to meet demands in the

near and longer term future for the Nation's economic and social needs.

The CBECS is a triennial survey that provides basic statistical

information on consumption of and expenditures for energy in commercial

buildings, and on the energy-related characteristics of these

buildings. (Previous surveys were conducted in 1979, 1983, and 1986

under the name of the Nonresidential Buildings Energy Consumption

Survey. The 1989 and 1992 surveys were collected using the new title,

CBECS. To obtain this information, personal interviews are conducted

for a sample of commercial buildings in the 50 states and the District

of Columbia. For buildings in the survey, data are collected on

structural characteristics, activities conducted inside the buildings,

building ownership and [[Page 4614]] occupancy, energy conservation

measures, energy-using equipment, and both the types and uses of energy

consumed. Energy consumption data for the building are obtained from

the suppliers of electricity, natural gas, fuel oil and district heat

to the building after receiving permission from the building owner,

manager or tenant. The energy suppliers survey is a mail interview.

The data obtained from this survey are published primarily in EIA

reports titled Commercial Buildings Characteristics (date of survey)

and Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption and Expenditures (date of

survey). Selected data from the surveys are also published in the

Monthly Energy Review and the Annual Energy Review. Data are available

electronically through the EPUB and on diskettes for use with personal

computers.

II. Current Actions

Anticipated changes for the 1995 CBECS include: Ten Primary

Sampling Units that were dropped in 1989 will be reinstated; the

section ``Construction Improvements and Maintenance and Repairs

Supplement,'' conducted for the Bureau of Census will be deleted; (3)

two types of buildings (parking garages and buildings on industrial

sites) will not be included in the sample; (4) the Building

Characteristics Questionnaire (Form EIA-871A) will be substantially

reduced from the 1992 questionnaire so that it is similar to the 1989

questionnaire; (5) the building characteristics data will be collected

using Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing techniques in order to

provide data in a more timely fashion; and (6) the suppliers of

district chilled water will not be surveyed. No major changes

pertaining to the type of data collected on the Energy Suppliers Forms

(EIA-871C-F) are anticipated. However, the format of the Energy

Supplier Forms will be modified to provide data in a more timely

fashion.

III. Request for Comments

Prospective respondents and other interested parties should comment

on the actions discussed in item II. The following general guidelines

are provided to assist in the preparation of responses. Please indicate

to which form(s) your comments apply.''

As a potential respondent:

A. Are the instructions and definitions clear and sufficient? If

not, which instructions require clarification?

B. Can the data be submitted using the definitions included in the

instructions?

C. Can data be submitted in accordance with the response time

specified in the instructions?

D. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to

average 45 minutes per interview (Form EIA-871A) and about 30 minutes

per energy supplier response (Forms EIA-871C-F). Note: There is no Form

EIA-871B. How much time, including time for reviewing instructions,

searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data

needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information, do

you estimate it will require you to complete and submit the required

form?

E. What is the estimated cost of completing this form, including

the direct and indirect costs associated with the data collection?

Direct costs should include all costs, such as administrative costs,

directly attributable to providing this information.

F. How can the form be improved?

G. Do you know of any other Federal, State, or local agency that

collects similar data? If you do, specify the agency, the data

element(s), and the means of collection.

As a potential user:

A. Can you use data at the levels of detail indicated on the form?

B. For what purpose would you use the data? Be specific.

C. How could the form be improved to better meet your specific

needs?

D. Are there alternate sources of data and do you use them? What

are their deficiencies and/or strengths?

E. For the most part, information is published by EIA in U.S.

customary units, e.g., cubic feet of natural gas, short tons of coal,

and barrels of oil. Would you prefer to see EIA publish more

information in metric units, e.g., cubic meters, metric tons, and

kilograms? If yes, please specify what information (e.g., coal

production, natural gas consumption, and crude oil imports), the metric

unit(s) of measurement preferred, and in which EIA publication(s) you

would like to see such information.

EIA is also interested in receiving comments from persons regarding

their views on the need for the information contained in the CBECS.

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.

Authority: Section 2(a) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980,

Public Law No. 96-511, which amended Chapter 35 of Title 44, United

States Code, (see 44 U.S.C. 3506(a) and (c)(1)).

Issued in Washington, DC, January 17, 1995.

Yvonne M. Bishop,

Director, Office of Statistical Standards, Energy Information

Administration.

[FR Doc. 95-1752 Filed 1-23-95; 8:45 am]

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