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 on the proposed revision and extension of approval to the Form

EIA-902, ``Annual Geothermal Heat Pump Manufacturers Survey.''

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before February 22,

2000. If you anticipate difficulty in submitting comments within that

period, contact the person identified below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Peter Holihan, Energy Information

Administration (EI-52), Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of Energy,

Washington, D.C. 20585. Alternatively, Mr. Holihan may be reached by

phone at (202) 426-1147, by e-mail James.H[email protected], or by FAX

(202) 426-1311.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or

copies of the form and instructions should be directed to Mr. Holihan

at the address listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

II. Current Actions

III. Request for Comments

I. Background

The Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-275, 15

U.S.C. 761 et seq.) and the Department of Energy Organization Act (Pub.

L. 95-91, 42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) require the Energy Information

Administration (EIA) to carry out a centralized, comprehensive, and

unified energy information program. This program collects, evaluates,

assembles, analyzes, and disseminates information on energy resource

reserves, production, demand, technology, and related economic and

statistical information. This information is used to assess the

adequacy of energy resources to meet near and longer term domestic

demands.

The EIA, as part of its effort to comply with the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), provides

the general public and other Federal agencies with opportunities to

comment on collections of energy information conducted by or in

conjunction with the EIA. Any comments received help the EIA to prepare

data requests that maximize the utility of the information collected,

and to assess the impact of collection requirements on the public.

Also, the EIA will later seek approval by the Office of Management and

Budget (OMB) of the collections under Section 3507(h) of the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995.

The Form EIA-902 collects information on shipments of geothermal

heat pumps. The survey tracks shipments of the following three main

types of geothermal heat pumps, as classified by the Air Conditioning &

Refrigeration Institute (ARI), and the much smaller shipped volume of

non-ARI rated systems. A brief description of the ARI-classified system

is as follows:

ARI 320--Water-Source Heat Pumps (WSHP)--These systems are

installed in commercial buildings, where a central chiller or boiler

supplies chilled or heated water, respectively, to heat pumps installed

in series. The heat pumps reject building heat to chilled water during

the cooling season and, during the heating season, take heat from

boiler water.

ARI 325--Ground Water-Source Heat Pumps (GWHP)--The GWHP is an

open-loop system in which ground water is drawn from an aquifer or

other natural body of water into piping. At the heat pump, heat is

drawn from or dumped to the water through a heat exchanger to the

refrigerant in the heat pump. The heated or cooled water returns to its

source.

ARI 330--Ground Source Closed-Loop Heat Pumps (GSHP)--A water or

water/glycol (antifreeze) solution flows continuously through a closed

loop of pipe buried underground. Ground heat is absorbed into or

rejected from the solution flowing in the closed loop. At the heat

pump, heat is drawn from or dumped to the closed loop solution via heat

transfer through a heat exchanger, which passes heat to or removes heat

from the refrigerant in the heat pump. Depending on the type of ground

and land area, systems can either be installed horizontally or

vertically.

Data are collected by model type, heat pump capacity, region of

destination, customer type, and economic sector. Respondents are all

U.S. geothermal heat pump manufacturers.

II. Current Actions

EIA will be requesting a three-year extension of Office of

Management and Budget approval to continue using Form EIA-902 through

2003.

III. Request for Comments

Prospective respondents and other interested persons are invited to

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

are provided to assist in the preparation of comments.

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 be made 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 need clarification?

B. Can information be submitted by the due date?

C. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to

average four hours per response. The estimated burden includes the

total time, effort, or financial resources expended to generate,

maintain, retain, disclose and provide the information. Please comment

on the accuracy of the estimate.

D. The agency estimates 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. What additional actions could be taken to minimize the burden of

this collection of information, including the use of information

technology? For example, should the agency develop additional

electronic methods (e.g., forms and instruction on diskettes, touch

tone data entry, forms that may be completed and submitted directly

through the Internet, and data submission by fax or e-mail) for

respondents to submit information?

F. Does any other Federal, State, or local agency collect similar

information? If so, specify the agency, the data element(s), and the

method(s) of collection.

[[Page 71446]]

As a Potential User:

A. Is the information useful at the levels of detail indicated on

the form?

B. For what purpose(s) would the information be used? Be specific.

C. Are there alternate sources for the information and are they

useful? If so, what are their weaknesses 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, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).

Issued in Washington, DC, December 15, 1999.

Jay H. Casselberry,

Agency Clearance Officer, Statistics and Methods Group, Energy

Information Administration.

[FR Doc. 99-33049 Filed 12-20-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450-01-P