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 new form EIA-902, ``Geothermal Heat

Pump Manufacturers Survey.''

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before February 28,

1997. 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 James Holihan, Office of Coal, Nuclear,

Electric, and Alternate Fuels, EI-522, Forrestal Building, U.S.

Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. 20585-0650, (202) 426-1147

(telephone number), (202) 426-1308 (fax number), JH[email protected]

(e-mail address).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or

copies of the form and instructions should be directed to James Holihan

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.

[[Page 68729]]

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.

II. Current Actions

Form EIA-902 will be submitted in 1997 for approval by the Office

of Management and Budget for a period not in excess of three years

pursuant to Section 3507(d) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980

(Pub. L. 96-511). EIA is providing this opportunity for the public to

review and comment on the draft survey form and instructions.

This survey is a new collection. Data that would be collected on

Form EIA-902 include the number of geothermal heat pumps shipped by

type, regional destinations by type, type of customers, and

distributions by market sector.

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.

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 two hours per response. 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 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. EIA estimates that respondents to this survey will not incur any

reporting costs other than the reporting burden cited above. 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

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. 104-13).

Issued in Washington, D.C. December 24, 1996.

Yvonne Bishop,

Director, Office of Statistical Standards, Energy Information

Administration.

[FR Doc. 96-33197 Filed 12-27-96; 8:45 am]

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