[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 17, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7459-7460]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-3341]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration


Policy Statement; Solicitation of Comments on the Disclosure 
Limitation Policy for Statistical Information Based on Alternative 
Fueled Vehicles and Alternative Transportation Fuels Survey Data

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

ACTION: Policy statement; solicitation of comments on the disclosure 
limitation policy for statistical information based on alternative 
fueled vehicles and alternative transportation fuels survey data.

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SUMMARY: The EIA is requesting comments on the disclosure limitation 
policy for statistical information based on alternative fueled vehicles 
and alternative transportation fuels survey data collected on Form EIA-
886, ``Annual Survey of Alternative Fueled Vehicle Suppliers and 
Users.'' EIA policy will be to only apply disclosure limitation methods 
to statistics based on projected data reported on Form EIA-886. For 
statistics based on historical data reported on Form EIA-886, EIA will 
not apply disclosure limitation methods. EIA will continue to protect 
information collected under a pledge of confidentiality by not publicly 
releasing respondent-level survey data directly linked to names or 
other identifiers. This proposed policy is based on EIA's mandate for 
carrying out a central, comprehensive, and unified energy data and 
information program responsive to users' needs for credible, reliable, 
and timely energy information that will improve and broaden 
understanding of energy in the United States.

DATES: Comments must be filed by March 18, 2004. If you anticipate 
difficulty in submitting comments within that period, contact the 
person listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Comments on this policy should be directed to Fred Mayes, 
Chief of EIA's Renewables Information Team. To ensure receipt of the 
comments by the due date, submission by fax (202-287-1964) or e-mail 
([email protected]) is recommended. The mailing address is 
Renewables Information Team (EI-52), Forrestal Building, U.S. 
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 
20585-0650. Alternatively, Mr. Mayes may be contacted by telephone at 
(202) 287-1750.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Mr. Mayes 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 provides the public and other Federal agencies with 
opportunities to comment on collections of energy information conducted 
by EIA. As appropriate, EIA also requests comments on important issues 
relevant to the dissemination of energy information. Comments received 
help the EIA when preparing information collections and information 
products necessary to support EIA's mission.
    Form EIA-886, ``Annual Survey of Alternative Fueled Vehicle 
Suppliers and Users,'' is an annual survey collecting information on 
the number of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) made available, the 
distribution of AFVs in use, and alternative transportation fuels 
(ATFs) consumed. Respondents are AFV manufacturers, importers, and 
conversion companies, as well as consumers of ATFs.
    Form EIA-886 is collected under a pledge of confidentiality. EIA 
does not publicly release the names or other

[[Page 7460]]

identifiers of EIA-886 survey respondents linked to their submitted 
data. For statistics based on projected data (e.g., data on alternative 
fueled vehicles that will be supplied in the upcoming calendar year) 
reported on Form EIA-886, EIA applies disclosure limitation. However, 
for all statistics based on historical Form EIA-886 data (e.g., data on 
alternative fueled vehicles supplied during the report year), EIA does 
not apply disclosure limitation.
    When used, disclosure limitation methods are designed to minimize 
the possibility that individually-identifiable information reported by 
a survey respondent may be inferred from published statistics. By not 
using disclosure limitation methods, a statistic based on historical 
data reported on Form EIA-886 by fewer than three respondents or 
dominated by historical data from one or two large respondents may be 
used by a knowledgeable person to estimate data reported by a specific 
respondent.
    Data collected on Form EIA-886 are used to meet EIA's mandates and 
energy data users' needs for credible, reliable, and timely energy 
information on the types of ATVs supplied, projections of the types 
ATVs that will be supplied in the upcoming year, the location of ATVs 
in operation, and the types and amounts of ATFs consumed. Adequate 
evaluation of ATV/ATF issues requires detailed, comprehensive data. 
Data collected on Form EIA-886 are used to create statistics 
disseminated by EIA in various information products available on EIA's 
Web site at http://www.eia.doe.gov/fuelalternate.html.
    EIA's ATV/ATF statistics provide Congress, other government 
agencies, businesses, trade associations, and private research and 
consulting organizations with information for analysis, projections, 
and monitoring purposes. To be most effective, EIA's ATV/ATF 
statistical information must be available by various breakdowns 
including vehicle, supplier, and user categories.
    Given the relatively small number of Form EIA-886 respondents, 
certain statistics based primarily on data reported by a few 
respondents with large operations, and the need for detailed ATV/ATF 
statistics, the use of disclosure limitation methods would result in a 
large amount of detailed, historical statistics being suppressed from 
public dissemination. The suppressed historical statistics would then 
be unavailable to public and private analysts interested in ATVs and 
ATFs. Form EIA-886 respondents have indicated to EIA staff that 
projected data are sensitive and estimation of respondent-level 
projections has more potential to cause competitive harm than for 
historical data.

II. Current Actions

    The EIA is requesting comments on the disclosure limitation policy 
for statistical information based on alternative fueled vehicles and 
alternative transportation fuels survey data collected on Form EIA-886, 
``Annual Survey of Alternative Fueled Vehicle Suppliers and Users.'' 
EIA proposes to only apply disclosure limitation methods to statistics 
based on projected data reported on Form EIA-886. For statistics based 
on historical data reported on Form EIA-886, EIA will not apply 
disclosure limitation methods. EIA will continue to protect information 
collected under a pledge of confidentiality by not publicly releasing 
respondent-level survey data directly linked to names or other 
identifiers. This policy will result in EIA providing the maximum 
amount of ATV/ATF information to the public, and will facilitate public 
understanding of the ATF/ATV situation in the U.S. However, it also 
means that a knowledgeable person may be able to estimate the value of 
selected historical data reported by specific respondents.

III. Request for Comments

    The public should comment on the actions discussed in item II. The 
questions below are the issues on which EIA is seeking public comments.
    A. Does EIA's proposed policy to only use disclosure limitation 
methods for statistics based on projected data reported on Form EIA-886 
maximize the utility of the ATV/ATF statistics to data users?
    B. Is the possibility that a knowledgeable user might be able to 
estimate a respondent's contribution to a historical statistic an 
acceptable risk to Form EIA-886 respondents?
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be considered by 
EIA. The comments will also become a matter of public record.
    After consideration of the comments, EIA will issue its policy 
regarding the use of disclosure limitation methods for alternative 
fueled vehicles and alternative transportation fuels statistical 
information based on Form EIA-886 survey data. The policy will be 
announced in a Federal Register notice issued by EIA.

    Statutory Authority: Section 52 of the Federal Energy 
Administration Act (Pub. L. 93-275, 15 U.S.C. 790a).

    Issued in Washington, DC, February 10, 2004.
Jay H. Casselberry,
Agency Clearance Officer, Statistics and Methods Group, Energy 
Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 04-3341 Filed 2-13-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P