[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 24 (Monday, February 6, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6062-6063]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-1564]


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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 Energy Information Administration (EIA) is soliciting 
comments on the proposed three-year extension to the Form EIA-28, 
``Financial Reporting System (FRS).''

DATES: Written comments must be filed by April 7, 2006. If you 
anticipate difficulty in submitting comments within that period, 
contact the person identified below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be directed to Gregory P. Filas of EIA. To 
ensure receipt of the comments by the due date, submission by Fax (202-
586-9753) or e-mail ([email protected]) is recommended. Mr. Filas' 
mailing address is Energy Information Administration (EI-62), Financial 
Analysis Team, Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of Energy, 
Washington, DC 20585. Mr. Filas may be telephoned at (202) 586-1347.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the form and instructions should be directed to Mr. Filas 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. No. 93-275, 
15 U.S.C. 761 et seq.), and the Department of Energy Organization Act 
(Pub. L. No. 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 Section 3507(h) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995.
    Under Public Law 95-91, section 205(h), the Administrator of the 
EIA is required to ``identify and designate'' the major energy 
companies who must annually file Form EIA-28 to ensure that the data 
collected provide ``a statistically accurate profile of each line of 
commerce in the energy industry in the United States.'' Data collected 
on Form EIA-28 are published and used in analyses of the energy 
industry.

II. Current Actions

    EIA is proposing a three-year extension with changes to the 
previously approved Form EIA-28 for the FRS survey to be conducted in 
2007 collecting information for 2006.
    U.S. major energy companies report financial and operating 
information to the FRS survey each year on a consolidated corporate 
level, by individual lines of business, by major functions within each 
line of business, and by various geographic regions. From this 
information, EIA produces the annual publication Performance Profiles 
of Major Energy Producers. The data are also used for analyses and 
inquiries concerning earnings, profitability, investments, production 
and refining costs, reserve growth, and other issues related to the 
financial performance of major energy producers.
    In 2004, EIA expanded the form to include the downstream natural 
gas and electric power lines of business. The expanded form increased 
the time and cost of processing the additional data. In addition, some 
of the new questions required very detailed information from the 
operational units of the FRS respondent companies, which increased the 
time required for companies to compile data for the form.
    After working with the expanded form for two years, EIA reviewed 
the detailed elements of the form and the responses and is proposing to 
reduce the scope of the data collected in the downstream natural gas 
and electric power sections of the Form EIA-28. The reductions will 
eliminate some of the intra-line of business flows and some detailed 
operating information, which

[[Page 6063]]

will allow for more streamlined processing of the data and more 
effective use of resources, including providing more focus on 
information about profits, profitability, investment, and operating 
costs in these lines of business. Reducing the scope of the survey will 
also reduce the reporting burden on the survey respondents.
    The proposed modifications include elimination of Schedule 5341, 
``Domestic Coal Operations, Reserves and Production Statistics,'' 
Schedule 5750, ``Eliminations in Consolidation'' for Downstream Natural 
Gas, and Schedule 5850, ``Eliminations in Consolidation'' for Electric 
Power. The following schedules for the downstream natural gas and 
electric power lines of business will be reduced in scope:
     Schedule 5711, Downstream Natural Gas Operating Expenses,
     Schedule 5712, Purchases and Sales of Natural Gas and 
Natural Gas Liquids,
     Schedule 5741, Downstream Natural Gas Capacity Measures, 
and Downstream Natural Gas Output Measures, and all of the Electric 
Power schedules, including:
     Schedule 5810, Consolidating Statement of Income,
     Schedule 5811, Electric Power Operating Expenses,
     Schedule 5812, Purchases and Sales of Fuel and Electric 
Power.
     Schedule 5841, Electric Power Capacity and Output 
Statistics.
    Copies of the proposed new schedules and the instructions are 
available from Mr. Filas.

III. Request for Comments

    Prospective respondents and other interested persons 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 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 Form EIA-28 instructions and definitions clear and 
sufficient? If not, which instructions require clarification?
    C. Can information be submitted by the due date?
    D. Public reporting burden for the Form EIA-28 collection, 
including proposed changes, is estimated to average 450 hours per 
response. The estimated burden includes the total time, effort, or 
financial resources expended to generate, maintain, retain, disclose 
and provide the 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 costs for 
operation maintenance, and purchases 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 
method(s) 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. No. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).

    Issued in Washington, DC, January 31, 2006.
Jay H. Casselberry,
Agency Clearance Officer, Energy Information Administration.
[FR Doc. E6-1564 Filed 2-3-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P