[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 127 (Friday, June 30, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40618-40620]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-16555]


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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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[[Page 40619]]

SUMMARY: The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is soliciting 
comments on the proposed reinstatement and three-year extension of Form 
EIA-457A-G, ``Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS)''.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before August 29, 2000. 
If you anticipate difficulty in submitting comments within that period, 
contact the person listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Michael T. Laurence, Office of Energy 
Markets and End-Use, Energy Consumption Division, EI-63, Forrestal 
Building, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. 20585-0660. 
Alternatively, Michael T. Laurence may be reached by phone at 202-586-
2453, by e-mail [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 Michael T. 
Laurence 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 Sections 3507(h)(1) and 3506(c) 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
    The Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) is a periodic 
survey of U.S. households to collect energy consumption and 
expenditures data and track changes over time. The data are widely used 
throughout the government and the private sector for policy analysis 
and are made available to the public in a variety of publications, 
electronic products, and electronic data files. Results from the survey 
are presented in both printed form (e.g., U.S. Department of Energy, 
Energy Information Administration, A Look at Residential Consumption in 
1997, November 1999, DOE/EIA-0632(97)) and at EIA's web site at http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/recs/contents.html.

II. Current Actions

    This is a reinstatement of OMB No. 1905-0092 that expired March 31, 
2000. The reinstatement will be for a three-year period with an 
expiration date of January 31, 2004. No significant changes in the RECS 
are being implemented. Due to funding restraints, the RECS is conducted 
on a quadrennial schedule, a schedule established with the 1997 RECS. 
The use of Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI), a technology 
implemented with the 1997 RECS, will be continued.
    The content of the survey questionnaires to be used in the 2001 
RECS will be substantially the same as those used in the 1997 RECS. 
Minor wording changes may be made in the interest of clarity. Some 
questions that yielded little useful data will be deleted, while 
questions dealing with new energy-consuming appliances will be added.
    The only notable methodological change will be the timing of the 
Rental Agents, Landlords, and Apartment Managers Survey (Form EIA-
457C). Instead of being conducted after the household interview (Form 
EIA-457A), it will be conducted either prior to, or concurrently with, 
the interviews at the sampled households living in multi-unit 
buildings. The change in the time of the collection of energy-related 
data from the lessors of housing units included in the RECS will ease 
the burden on household respondents, who may not know about the energy 
aspects of the apartments they rent, and will also improve the quality 
of the household data.

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 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 the information be submitted by the due date?
    C. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to 
average 30 minutes per response for Form EIA-457A, Household 
Questionnaire; 20 minutes per response for Form EIA-457B, Mail version 
of the Household Questionnaire; 15 minutes per response for Form EIA-
457C, Rental Agents, Landlords, and Apartment Managers; 30 minutes per 
response for Form EIA-457D, Household Bottle Gas (LPG or Propane) 
Usage; 30 minutes per response for Form EIA-457E, Household Electricity 
Usage; 30 minutes per response for Form EIA-457F, Household Natural Gas 
Usage; and 30 minutes per response for Form EIA-457G, Household Fuel 
Oil or Kerosene Usage. 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 that the only costs to the respondents are 
for the time it will take them to complete the collection. Please 
comment if respondents will incur start-up costs for reporting, or any 
recurring annual costs for operation, maintenance, and purchase of 
services associated with the information collection.
    E. What additional actions could be taken to minimize the burden of 
this collection of information? Such actions may involve the use of 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    F. 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.

[[Page 40620]]

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 3507(h)(1) and 3506(c) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. No. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. 
Chapter 35).

    Issued in Washington, D.C. June 26, 2000.
Jay H. Casselberry,
Agency Clearance Officer, Statistics and Methods Group, Energy 
Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 00-16555 Filed 6-29-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P