[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 24, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4613-4614]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-1752]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Energy Information Administration


Forms EIA-871A-F, ``1995 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption 
Survey''

AGENCY: Energy Information Administration, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Proposed Revision of Forms EIA-871A-F, ``1995 
Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS),'' and 
Solicitation of Comments.

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SUMMARY: The Energy Information Administration (EIA), as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden (required 
by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980), 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. Currently, EIA is 
soliciting comments concerning the proposed revision to the Forms EIA-
871A-F, ``1995 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey.''

DATES: Written comments must be submitted within 30 days of the 
publication of this notice. 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 Martha Johnson, Project Manager, EI-631, 
Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. 20585, 
(202) 586-1135, Facsimile (202) 586-0018. Internet: 
mjohnsoneia.doe.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Requests for additional information or copies 
of the forms and instructions should be directed to Martha Johnson 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.
    The CBECS is a triennial survey that provides basic statistical 
information on consumption of and expenditures for energy in commercial 
buildings, and on the energy-related characteristics of these 
buildings. (Previous surveys were conducted in 1979, 1983, and 1986 
under the name of the Nonresidential Buildings Energy Consumption 
Survey. The 1989 and 1992 surveys were collected using the new title, 
CBECS. To obtain this information, personal interviews are conducted 
for a sample of commercial buildings in the 50 states and the District 
of Columbia. For buildings in the survey, data are collected on 
structural characteristics, activities conducted inside the buildings, 
building ownership and [[Page 4614]] occupancy, energy conservation 
measures, energy-using equipment, and both the types and uses of energy 
consumed. Energy consumption data for the building are obtained from 
the suppliers of electricity, natural gas, fuel oil and district heat 
to the building after receiving permission from the building owner, 
manager or tenant. The energy suppliers survey is a mail interview.
    The data obtained from this survey are published primarily in EIA 
reports titled Commercial Buildings Characteristics (date of survey) 
and Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption and Expenditures (date of 
survey). Selected data from the surveys are also published in the 
Monthly Energy Review and the Annual Energy Review. Data are available 
electronically through the EPUB and on diskettes for use with personal 
computers.

II. Current Actions

    Anticipated changes for the 1995 CBECS include: Ten Primary 
Sampling Units that were dropped in 1989 will be reinstated; the 
section ``Construction Improvements and Maintenance and Repairs 
Supplement,'' conducted for the Bureau of Census will be deleted; (3) 
two types of buildings (parking garages and buildings on industrial 
sites) will not be included in the sample; (4) the Building 
Characteristics Questionnaire (Form EIA-871A) will be substantially 
reduced from the 1992 questionnaire so that it is similar to the 1989 
questionnaire; (5) the building characteristics data will be collected 
using Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing techniques in order to 
provide data in a more timely fashion; and (6) the suppliers of 
district chilled water will not be surveyed. No major changes 
pertaining to the type of data collected on the Energy Suppliers Forms 
(EIA-871C-F) are anticipated. However, the format of the Energy 
Supplier Forms will be modified to provide data in a more timely 
fashion.

III. Request for Comments

    Prospective respondents and other interested parties should comment 
on the actions discussed in item II. The following general guidelines 
are provided to assist in the preparation of responses. Please indicate 
to which form(s) your comments apply.''
    As a potential respondent:
    A. Are the instructions and definitions clear and sufficient? If 
not, which instructions require clarification?
    B. Can the data be submitted using the definitions included in the 
instructions?
    C. Can data be submitted in accordance with the response time 
specified in the instructions?
    D. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to 
average 45 minutes per interview (Form EIA-871A) and about 30 minutes 
per energy supplier response (Forms EIA-871C-F). Note: There is no Form 
EIA-871B. How much time, including time for reviewing instructions, 
searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data 
needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information, do 
you estimate it will require you to complete and submit the required 
form?
    E. What is the estimated cost of completing this form, including 
the direct and indirect costs associated with the data collection? 
Direct costs should include all costs, such as administrative costs, 
directly attributable to providing this information.
    F. How can the form be improved?
    G. 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 means 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. How could the form be improved to better meet your specific 
needs?
    D. Are there alternate sources of data and do you use them? What 
are their deficiencies and/or strengths?
    E. 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.
    EIA is also interested in receiving comments from persons regarding 
their views on the need for the information contained in the CBECS.
    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.

    Authority: Section 2(a) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, 
Public Law No. 96-511, which amended Chapter 35 of Title 44, United 
States Code, (see 44 U.S.C. 3506(a) and (c)(1)).

    Issued in Washington, DC, January 17, 1995.
Yvonne M. Bishop,
Director, Office of Statistical Standards, Energy Information 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 95-1752 Filed 1-23-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P