[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 180 (Monday, September 19, 2005)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 54835]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-18628]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Part 300

RIN 1901-AB11


Guidelines for Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Reporting

AGENCY: Office of Policy and International Affairs, U.S. Department of 
Energy.

ACTION: Final rule; delay of effective date.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) published interim final General 
Guidelines for its Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Program on 
March 24, 2005 (70 FR 15169), and published in the same issue of the 
Federal Register a notice of availability inviting public comment on 
draft Technical Guidelines needed to fully implement the revised 
Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Program (70 FR 15164). DOE 
today is delaying the effective date of the guidelines to address the 
comments received by DOE in response to the March 24, 2005 Federal 
Register notice and to align the effective date with the likely 
availability of final reporting forms being developed by the Energy 
Information Administration.

DATES: The effective date of the rule establishing 10 CFR part 300 
published in the Federal Register at 70 FR 15169 on March 24, 2005, is 
delayed until June 1, 2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Friedrichs, PI-40, Office of 
Policy and International Affairs, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20585, or e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As DOE explained in the notice of interim 
final rulemaking, the Technical Guidelines that supplement the General 
Guidelines will provide the specificity necessary for DOE to fully 
implement the greenhouse gas emissions inventory and emissions 
reduction elements of the voluntary reporting guidelines (70 FR 15171). 
DOE received a substantial number of written comments on the Interim 
Final General Guidelines and draft Technical Guidelines, and DOE 
expects to issue final General and Technical Guidelines by the end of 
2005. At that time, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) will 
prepare reporting forms that conform to the Final General Guidelines 
and Final Technical Guidelines and begin developing the electronic 
reporting software necessary to implement the revised Program.
    Because DOE does not expect to issue final guidelines until the end 
of the calendar year, and because the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) clearance process under the Paperwork Reduction Act for EIA's 
revised reporting forms will take at least 120 days following the 
issuance of the final guidelines, DOE is delaying the September 20, 
2005 effective date of the rule published on March 24, 2005 until June 
1, 2006. This delay in the effective date will allow EIA time to 
complete the development of revised reporting forms, including an 
opportunity for public review, after the final General and Technical 
Guidelines are issued at the end of 2005. Once EIA has completed the 
development of its planned electronic reporting system, approximately 9 
to 12 months after the guidelines are finalized, reporting entities 
would be able to use it to report under the revised guidelines. Since 
it is unlikely that entities will be able to report under the revised 
guidelines by July 1, 2006, DOE will revise the General Guidelines to 
provide that entities may use DOE's October 1994 guidelines for 
reporting in calendar year 2006. Entities that wish to report their 
emissions and reductions for 2005, or prior years, using the revised 
guidelines will be able to do so during the normal 2007 reporting 
cycle.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on September 13, 2005.
Karen A. Harbert,
Assistant Secretary, Policy and International Affairs.
[FR Doc. 05-18628 Filed 9-15-05; 9:21 am]
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