[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 2, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16008-16009]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-7924]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Energy Information Administration (EIA), Department of Energy 
(DOE).

ACTION: Agency information collection activities: proposed collection; 
comment request.

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SUMMARY: The EIA is soliciting comments on the proposed Form EIA-902, 
``Annual Geothermal Heat Pump Manufacturers Survey.''

DATES: Comments must be filed by June 2, 2003. If you anticipate 
difficulty in submitting comments within that period, contact the 
person listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to James Holihan. To ensure receipt of the 
comments by the due date, submission by FAX to (202) 287-1946 or e-mail 
to [email protected] is recommended. The mailing address is Office 
of Coal, Nuclear, Electric, and Alternate Fuels, EI-52, Forrestal 
Building, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585-0650. 
Alternatively, Mr. Holihan may be contacted by telephone at (202) 287-
1735.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of any forms 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 DOE Organization Act (Pub. L. 95-91, 42 
U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) require the 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) under section 3507(a) 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,

[[Page 16009]]

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 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 to the Request for Information

    A. What actions could be taken to help ensure and maximize the 
quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information to be 
collected?
    B. Are the instructions and definitions clear and sufficient? If 
not, which instructions need clarification?
    C. Can the information be submitted by the due date?
    D. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to 
average 4 hours per response. The estimated burden includes the total 
time necessary to provide the requested information. In your opinion, 
how accurate is this estimate?
    E. The agency estimates that the only cost to a respondent is for 
the time it will take to complete the collection. Will a respondent 
incur any start-up costs for reporting, or any recurring annual costs 
for operation, maintenance, and purchase of services associated with 
the information collection?
    F. 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.
    G. 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 of the Information To Be Collected

    A. What actions could be taken to help ensure and maximize the 
quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information 
disseminated?
    B. Is the information useful at the levels of detail to be 
collected?
    C. For what purpose(s) would the information be used? Be specific.
    D. 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) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35).

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 26, 2003.
Jay H. Casselberry,
Agency Clearance Officer, Statistics and Methods Group, Energy 
Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 03-7924 Filed 4-1-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P