Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request

SUMMARY: The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is soliciting

comments concerning the proposed renewal of form EIA-457A-H,

Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before December 16,

1996. 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 Michael T. Laurence, Office of Energy

Markets and End Use, EI-631, Forrestal

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

(202) 586-2453, or INTERNET address, [email protected], or fax 202/

586-0018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Requests for additional information or copies

of the forms and instructions should be directed to Michael T. Laurence

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. No. 93-275) and the Department of

Energy Organization Act (Pub. L. No. 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 data collection included, herein, was approved by the Director

of the Office of Management and Budget for a one-year extension through

June 30, 1997. EIA seeks an extension of this collection by the

Director with some modifications under Section 3507(h) of the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. No. 104-13, Title 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).

The Energy Information Administration, as part of its continuing

effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden (required by the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13)), 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. The RECS is a

periodic survey of U.S. households to estimate energy consumption and

expenditures and track changes over time. The data are widely used

throughout the government and the private sector for policy analysis

and are made available to the public in a variety of publications and

electronic data files.

II. Current Actions

A three-year extension with changes to an existing collection that

expires June 30, 1997, will be submitted to OMB. Due to funding

constraints, the RECS, with this effort, will move from a triennial to

a quadrennial schedule. Accordingly, the next RECS will be in 1997 and

then 2001. The scope and length of the survey is being substantially

reduced and Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) procedures

are being introduced which will result in a substantial reduction in

respondent burden. Form EIA-457H, Household Lighting Usage Supplement,

is being dropped as well as portions of Form EIA-457A, Household

Questionnaire, including conservation measures, demand-side management,

new home supplement, detailed questions about vehicles, and housing

measurements. Some new questions regarding the frequency that

appliances are used are being added.

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 responses. Please indicate to

which form(s) your comments apply.

General Issues

EIA is interested in receiving comments from persons regarding: A.

Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the

proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether

the information will have practical utility. Practical utility is 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 EIA make to the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be collected?

As a potential respondent

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

not, which instructions require clarification?

B. Can data be submitted in accordance with the due date specified

in the instructions?

C. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to

average 30 minutes for Form EIA-457A, Household Questionnaire; 20

minutes for Form EIA-457B, Mail version of the Household Questionnaire;

15 minutes for Form EIA-457C, Rental Agents, Landlords, and Apartment

Managers; 30 minutes for Form EIA-457D, Household Bottle Gas (LPG or

Propane) Usage; 30 minutes for Form EIA-457D, Household Bottled Gas

(LPG or Propane) Usage; 30 minutes for Form EIA-457E, Household

Electricity Usage; 30 minutes for Form EIA-457F, Household Natural Gas

Usage; and 30 minutes for Form EIA-457G, Household Fuel Oil or Kerosene

Usage. Burden includes the total time, effort, or financial resources

expended to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or provide the

information including: (1) reviewing instructions; (2) developing,

acquiring, installing, and utilizing technology and systems for the

purposes of collecting, validating, verifying, processing, maintaining,

disclosing and providing information; (3) adjusting the existing ways

to comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements;

(4) training personnel to respond to a collection of information; (5)

searching data sources; (6) completing and reviewing the collection of

information; and (7) transmitting, or otherwise disclosing the

information.

Please comment on (1) the accuracy of our estimate and (2) how the

agency could minimize the burden of the collection of information,

including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of

information technology.

D. What is the estimated (1) total dollar amount annualized for

capital and start-up costs and (2) recurring annual dollar amount of

operation and maintenance and purchase of services costs associated

with this data collection? The estimates should take into account the

costs associated with generating, maintaining, and disclosing or

providing the information.

E. 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 methods 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. Are there alternate sources of data and do you use them? If so,

what are their deficiencies and/or strengths?

D. 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

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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.

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 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. No. 104-13).

Issued in Washington, DC, October 8, 1996.

John Gross,

Acting Director, Office of Statistical Standards, Energy Information

Administration.

[FR Doc. 96-26421 Filed 10-15-96; 8:45 am]

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