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 extension to the Form EIA-1605,

``Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases,'' (long version) and the

Form EIA-1605EZ, ``Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases,'' (short

version).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before December 19,

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 Stephen E. Calopedis, Energy Information

Administration, Office of Integrated Analysis and Forecasting, EI-81,

Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585,

(202) 586-1156, e-mail: [email protected], and FAX: (202)

586-3045.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or

copies of the form and instructions should be directed to Stephen E.

Calopedis 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 (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, 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 prepare data requests in the desired format, minimize

reporting burden, develop clearly understandable reporting forms, and

assess the impact of collection requirements on respondents. 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).

The EIA developed these greenhouse gas forms pursuant to section

1605(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (Pub. L. 102-486, 42 U.S.C.

13385) to reflect the guidelines set forth in Voluntary Reporting of

Greenhouse Gases under section 1605(b) of the Energy Policy Act of

1992: General Guidelines (DOE/PO-0028). These forms are designed to

collect voluntarily reported data on greenhouse gas emissions, achieved

reductions of these emissions, and increased carbon fixation. Further,

the forms support the Climate Change Action Plan by collecting

information on commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to

sequester carbon in

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future years, including the progress made toward meeting those

commitments. The Office of Management and Budget approved these forms

on May 26, 1995 (OMB No. 1905-0194).

You may wish to participate in the program to: (1) Establish a

public record of your emissions and reductions for any years from 1987

onwards; (2) demonstrate progress toward meeting commitments made under

voluntary programs to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases; (3) inform

the public about greenhouse gas emissions and reduction strategies; and

(4) contribute to educational exchanges on the most effective ways to

reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. The EIA publishes an annual

report/review of the 1605(b) voluntary reporting of greenhouse gases

program. In addition, EIA has established a publicly available database

of the information reported each year, which serves as a clearinghouse

of information and case studies.

II. Current Actions

This action represents a request for the extension of the

expiration date with no other changes, of existing collections (Form

EIA-1605 and Form EIA-1605EZ). The request will include an extension

from the currently approved OMB expiration dates (May 31, 1998) to May

31, 2001, i.e., 3-year extension of the Forms EIA-1605 and EIA-1605EZ.

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. 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 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 for this collection is estimated to

average:

Form EIA-1605: 40 hours per response

Form EIA-1605EZ: 4 hours per response

Burden includes the total time, effort, or financial resources expended

to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or provide 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 information technology.

D. EIA estimates that respondents will incur no additional costs

for reporting other than the hours required to complete the collection.

What is the estimated: (1) Total dollar amount annualized for capital

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

maintenance, and purchase of services associated with this data

collection?

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 request for a 3-

year extension of the forms. 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, DC, October 17, 1997.

Jay H. Casselberry,

Agency Clearance Officer, Statistics and Methods Group, Energy

Information Administration.

[FR Doc. 97-27718 Filed 10-17-97; 8:45 am]

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