Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request

AGENCY: Energy Information Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Agency information collection activities: Proposed collection;

comment request.

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SUMMARY: The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is soliciting

comments concerning the proposed modifications and extensions of the

following Electric Power Forms:

EIA-411, ``Coordinated Bulk Power Supply Program Report,''

EIA-412, ``Annual Report of Public Electric Utilities,''

NN-417R, ``Electric Power Systems Emergency Report,''

EIA-759, ``Monthly Power Plant Report,''

EIA-826, ``Monthly Electric Utility Sales and Revenue Report with State

Distributions,''

EIA-860, ``Annual Electric Generator Report,''

EIA-861, ``Annual Electric Utility Report,''

EIA-867, ``Annual Nonutility Power Producer Report,'' and

EIA-900, ``Monthly Nonutility Sales for Resale Report.''

EIA is also requesting comments on a proposed new Form EIA-417A,

``Annual Summary of Emergency Occurrences.''

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before September 29,

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 DOE contact listed below of your intention to do

so as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to John G. Colligan, Energy Information

Administration, Coal and Electric Data and Renewables Division, EI-524,

U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington,

D.C. 20585-0650; telephone (202) 426-1174; e-mail [email protected];

and FAX (202) 426-1311.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or

copies of forms and instruction sets should be directed to John

Colligan 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 EIA 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,

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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 EIA, 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. Also, EIA will later seek approval by the

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the collections under Section

3507(h) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, Title

44, U.S.C. Chapter 35).

II. Current Actions

The EIA requests (a) a 3-year extension, through December 31, 2000,

for all forms listed, and (b) modifications as well as time

extension(s) to the specific forms as described below. The proposed

changes the EIA is requesting through this action reflect the current

state of the electric power industry. Additional changes may be

required, prior to the new expiration date, in order to be up-to-date

with the rapidly changing industry.

Form EIA-411, ``Coordinated Bulk Power Supply Program,'' no change.

Form EIA-412, ``Annual Report of Public Electric Utilities,'' no

change.

Form EIA-417A, ``Annual Summary of Emergency Occurrences,'' a new

form will be added to the EIA electric power survey program. This

collection will request statistical data on the type, duration, impact,

and nature of electric emergency occurrences and power outages. The

data will be reported annually by all entities operating/owning any

portion of the integrated electrical system, and Alaska, Hawaii, and

the trust territories. A simple check-off system technique of reporting

will be available to respondents who (1) experienced no incidents and

(2) were not impacted by external occurrences during the year.

Form NN-417R, ``Electric Power Systems Emergency Report.'' The form

number and name will be changed to the EIA-417R, ``Electric Power

Systems Emergency Report.'' The survey frame and reporting schedule

will remain unchanged.

EIA-759, ``Monthly Power Plant Report,'' no change.

Form EIA-826, ``Monthly Electric Utility Sales and Revenue Report

with State Distributions.'' The form name will be changed to ``Monthly

Electric Industry Sales and Revenue Report with State Distributions,''

to more accurately define the survey respondent frame. This will permit

reporting of sales and revenues by electric utilities and power

marketers. The collection of these data is required as the retail

marketing of electric power is growing under the restructuring of the

electric power industry.

EIA-860, ``Annual Electric Generator Report,'' no change.

Form EIA-861, ``Annual Electric Utility Report.'' The form and

instructions will be modified as delineated below.

(a) Change the form name to ``Annual Electric Energy Industry

Report,'' to more clearly identify the respondent population consisting

of electric utilities and power marketers which constitutes the frame

of this survey.

(b) Expand reporting to include generation (in megawatthours) in

(1) the existing service territory and (2) in the marketing territory

as well.

(c) Reduce the number of Demand-Side Management (DSM) questions,

(Schedule V), to 1 page (eliminated 2 pages), and thereby reduce

respondent reporting requirements and burden. The need for DSM data are

diminishing as restructuring/unbundling throughout the industry takes

place.

(d) Request more explicit identification of electric industry

participants. Parent and subsidiary company relationships are essential

as new and different types of electric energy entities come into being

during the restructuring.

(e) Add questions regarding completed mergers and acquisitions.

This is necessary to maintain the respondent universe control and to

accurately purge the respondent list of organizations no longer having

reporting responsibilities.

(f) Request reporting of service territories by State and County,

once every three years. These data are needed to establish and maintain

an accurate baseline of existing and expanding distribution systems.

(g) Request respondents with sales for resale under full power

requirement contracts to record the highest firm required demand, and

for full requirement, whose power is supplied by others under long term

contract are asked to identify the ending dates of the contract. The

data will be used to analyze changes affecting reliability.

(h) Add questions to report sales for resale, and end use sales by

NERC region.

Form EIA-867, ``Annual Nonutility Power Producer Report.'' The form

and instructions will be modified to convert Standard Industrial

Classification (SIC) codes to the North American Industry

Classification System (NAICS) codes, the international standard of

industrial classification. This conversion is necessary to sustain

coherence and standardization of industry identification for both

domestic and foreign sales and transfers of electric generation.

Form EIA-900, ``Monthly Nonutility Sales for Resale Report.'' The

form and instructions will be modified to: (a) Add a question to

collect monthly gross generation. (b) Add a question to collect monthly

sales to other end users.

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

A. Are the proposed collections of information necessary for the

proper performance of the functions of the agency? 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 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 by the due date?

C. Public reporting burden estimates for each form collection are

shown below. Burden includes the total time, effort, or financial

resources expended to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or

provide the information.

EIA-411, ``Coordinated Bulk Power Supply Program Report,''--20.77

hrs. per response (no change from previous estimate).

EIA-412, ``Annual Report of Public Electric Utilities,''--30.3 hrs.

per

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response (no change from previous estimate).

EIA-417R, ``Electric Power Systems Emergency Report and Annual

Summary of Emergency Occurrences,''--2.89 hrs. per response (no change

from previous estimate). (Note: The frequency, magnitude, and duration

of emergency occurrences are hard to predict, therefore making

reporting times hard to predict.)

EIA-417A, ``Annual Summary of Emergency Occurrences,''--3.0 hrs.

per response (new form).

EIA-759, ``Monthly Power Plant Report,''--1.4 hrs. per response (no

change from previous estimate).

EIA-826, ``Monthly Electric Utility Sales and Revenue Report with

State Distributions,''--1.4 hrs. per response (previous estimate was

1.3 hrs.).

EIA-860, ``Annual Electric Generator Report,''--15.3 hrs. per

response (no change from previous estimate).

EIA-861, ``Annual Electric Energy Industry Report,''--7.9 hrs per

response (previous estimate was 6.85 hrs.).

EIA-867, ``Annual Nonutility Power Producer Report,''--2.12 hrs.

per response (no change from previous estimate).

EIA-900, ``Monthly Nonutility Sales for Resale Report,''--.30 hrs.

per response (previous estimate was .25 hrs.).

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

agency could minimize the burden of the collections of information,

including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of

information technology.

D. EIA estimates that respondents will incur no additional costs

for reporting other than the hours required to complete the

collections. What is the estimated: (1) total dollar amount annualized

for capital and start-up costs, and (2) recurring annual costs of

operating and maintaining and purchasing service costs associated with

these data collections?

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 forms?

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 is their deficiencies 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 3506 (c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork

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

Issued in Washington, D.C. July 23, 1997.

Jay H. Casselberry,

Agency Clearance Officer, Statistics and Methods Group, Energy

Information Administration.

[FR Doc. 97-19922 Filed 7-28-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450-01-P