[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 10, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11659-11660]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-6131]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Energy Information Administration
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collections;
Comment Request
AGENCY: Energy Information Administration, DOE.
ACTION: Agency information collection activities: Proposed collections;
Comment request.
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SUMMARY: The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is soliciting
comments concerning the proposed renewal of approval for Forms EIA-63A,
``Annual Solar Thermal Collector Manufacturers Survey,'' and EIA-63B,
``Annual Photovoltaic Module/Cell Manufacturers Survey.''
DATES: Written comments must be submitted within 60 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 James Holihan, Energy Information
Administration, EI-523, Renewable Energy Branch, Forrestal Building,
U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. 20585-0650, Telephone (202)
426-1147; e-mail [email protected]; 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
In order to fulfill its responsibilities under the Federal Energy
Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. No. 93-275) and the Department of
Energy Organization Act (Pub. L. No. 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 EIA 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. No. 104-13, title 44, U.S.C. Chapter 35).
II. Current Actions
The EIA will request a three-year extension through August 31,
2001, to continue using Forms EIA-63A and EIA-63B. No substantive
modifications to the currently approved forms will be proposed unless
substantive suggestions are received and approved.
The forms currently are used to gather information on the supply
and distribution of solar thermal collectors, photovoltaic cells, and
photovoltaic modules. Specifically, the forms collect information on
manufacturing, imports, exports, and shipments. The EIA has been
collecting this information annually and proposes to continue the
surveys. The data collected will be published in the Renewable Energy
Annual and will also be available through EIA's Internet site at http:/
/www.eia.doe.gov/fuelrenewable.html.
III. Request for Comments
Prospective respondents and other interested parties should comment
on the actions discussed in item II. (If your comments apply to a
specific form, please indicate one.) The following guidelines are
provided to assist in the preparation of responses.
General Issues
A. Are the proposed collections of information necessary for the
proper performance of the functions of the agency and does the
information have
[[Page 11660]]
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 each form is estimated to average
approximately three hours.
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.
The information requested is expected to be available in each
respondent's business information system. What are 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(s)?
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. No. 104-13).
Issued in Washington, D.C., March 4, 1998.
Jay H. Casselberry,
Agency Clearance Officer, Statistics and Methods Group, Energy
Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 98-6131 Filed 3-9-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P