[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 28 (Thursday, February 11, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6884-6885]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-3401]


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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 revision to the Form EIA-871A/F, 
``1999 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey.''

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before April 12, 1999. 
If you have difficulty in submitting comments within the 60 days, 
contact the person identified below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Martha Johnson, Project Manager, EI-63, 
Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. 20585-
0660. Alternatively, Martha may be reached by phone at 202-586-1135, by 
e-mail (Martha.J[email protected]), or by FAX (202-586-0018).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the form 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

    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.) requires 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. In addition, as specified in Section 171 (b)(k)(1) of the 
Energy Policy Act of 1992 (Pub. L. 102-486), EIA conducts surveys of 
residential and commercial energy use.
    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) for the collections under Section 3507(h) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995.
    The Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) has been 
conducted six times previously covering the years 1979, 1983 and 1986 
under the name of the Nonresidential Buildings Energy Consumption 
Survey, and years 1989, 1992 and 1995 under the current name, 
Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey. CBECS collects baseline 
data on energy consumption and expenditures in commercial buildings, 
and on the energy-related characteristics of those buildings. To obtain 
this information, 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 the types, amount and cost of 
energy consumed in the building, how the energy is used, structural 
characteristics of the buildings, activities conducted inside the 
buildings, building ownership and occupancy, energy conservation 
measures, and energy-using equipment. The information will be collected 
using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) for the 1999 
CBECS. For those buildings that cannot provide energy consumption data 
for the building, the data will be obtained in a mail survey 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. This mail survey is mandatory.
    The data obtained from this survey are available to the public in a 
variety of EIA publications and electronic tables and reports. (The 
1995 CBECS data were published in A Look at Commercial Buildings in 
1995: Characteristics, Energy Consumption and Energy Expenditures.) 
These reports can also be obtained at http://www.eia.doe.gov/
consumption. Public use files that have been screened to protect the 
identity of the individual respondents are also available 
electronically. Selected data from the surveys are also published in 
the Monthly Energy Review and the Annual Energy Review.

II. Current Actions

    This will be a proposed revision and three-year clearance request 
to OMB. The request in the expiration data will extend the EIA-871A/F 
to May 31, 2002.
    Other anticipated changes for the 1999 CBECS include:
     Collecting the data by telephone (rather than in a 
personal interview) using CATI techniques;
     Collecting the energy consumption and expenditures data 
(Form EIA-871C-F) at the building level rather than from the energy 
suppliers;
     Resampling from the 1995 CBECS sample;
     Excluding buildings from the sample that are 10,000 square 
feet and less in size and that were constructed after 1995;
     Eliminating some building characteristics questions (Form 
EIA-871A) that are of a lower priority to CBECS data users, are no 
longer relevant, or that had a high item nonresponse in previous 
surveys;
     Reformatting the Building Characteristic Questionnaire 
(Form EIA-871A) so that fewer respondents are asked all questions.

III. Request for Comments

    Prospective respondents and other interested parties 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 require clarification?
    B. Can information be submitted by the due date?

[[Page 6885]]

    C. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to 
average approximately 45 minutes per interview (Form EIA-871A) and 
about 30 minutes per energy supplier response in those cases where the 
data must be collected from the energy suppliers (Forms EIA-871C-F). 
The estimated 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 the agency's estimate, and 
(2) how the agency could minimize the burden of collecting this 
information, including the use of information technology.
    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. Does any other Federal, State or local agency collect similar 
information? If so, specify the agency, the data element(s), and the 
methods of collection.

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

    Issued in Washington, D.C. February 5, 1999.
Jay H. Casselberry,
Agency Clearance Officer, Statistics and Methods Group, Energy 
Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 99-3401 Filed 2-10-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P