[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 19 (Friday, January 30, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 5651]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-2028]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Proposed Agency Information Collection

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice and request for OMB review and comment

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) has submitted to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance, a proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995. The Department of Energy is authorized to enter into voluntary 
agreements with U.S. industry under section 106 of the Energy Policy 
Act of 2005 (EPACT). The proposed data collection will be used to 
evaluate the success of the voluntary agreements and to report results 
to Congress. EPACT requires DOE to report to Congress on the 
effectiveness of the voluntary commitments to reduce industrial energy 
intensity. The reports to Congress should include an evaluation of the 
success of the voluntary agreements to reduce participant energy 
intensity, and independent verification of a sample of energy savings 
estimates provided by participants. EPACT directs the reports to be 
submitted in 2012 and 2017.
    In order to reduce the level of respondent burden required by 
participants, DOE has designed a data collection instrument which 
relies primarily upon pre-existing utility and energy-use data. In 
addition to information on company contacts and identification of 
participating plants, DOE is asking for a breakout of energy use by 
fuel type (in million metric British Thermal Units) aggregated across 
all of the plants that are voluntarily participating. DOE is asking for 
the annual change in the participants' aggregate energy intensity in 
units of percentage. Energy intensity may be calculated with existing 
organizational methods, or DOE's baselining tool which will be offered 
as a calculator. The calculator is not considered to be a data 
collection instrument. Finally, participants are asked to describe 
energy savings projects in simple, narrative form allowing respondents 
to provide summary information rather than detailed responses. DOE 
intends to calculate energy savings using the energy-use data from the 
baseline and current year, along with the baseline adjustment factor.
    As a result of comments received during the 60 Day Federal Register 
Notice, DOE has increased the estimate of burden hours on respondent 
companies from 3 hours per plant to 10 hours per plant. This reflects 
the estimate received from the public, as well as the burden estimate 
used by the Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS). While MECS 
collects similar information, it does not require manufacturers to 
provide an energy intensity number which is required for EPACT 2005.

DATES: Comments regarding this collection must be received on or before 
March 2, 2009. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, 
but find it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by 
this notice, please advise the OMB Desk Officer of your intention to 
make a submission as soon as possible. The Desk Officer may be 
telephoned at 202-395-4650.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to:

Desk Officer for the Department of Energy, Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, New Executive 
Office Building, Room 10102, 735 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20503; and to
Michaela Martin, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , PO Box 2008, MS-6070, 
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6070, or by fax at 865-241-4152 or by e-mail at 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Michaela Martin, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, PO Box 
2008, MS-6070, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6070, or by fax at 865-241-4152 or 
by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This information collection request 
contains: (1) OMB No. {``New''{time} ; (2) Information Collection 
Request Title: Save Energy Now Voluntary Pledge Report; (3) Type of 
Request: New; (4) Purpose: The Department of Energy is authorized to 
enter into voluntary agreements with U.S. industry under section 106 of 
the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Data will be collected from industry 
pledge participants, annually, on progress made towards the reduction 
of energy intensity goals established by the voluntary agreements. The 
data collected will be used to evaluate the success of the voluntary 
agreements and to report results to Congress; (5) Type of Respondents: 
Public; (6) Estimated Number of Respondents: 20 companies; (7) 
Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 20 respondent companies with 
approximately 14 plants each averaging 10 burden hours per plant for an 
estimated total of 2,800 burden hours; (8) Estimated Cost Burden: none.

    Statutory Authority: 42 U.S.C. 15811.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on January 26th, 2009.
Rita L. Wells,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Business Administration, Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
 [FR Doc. E9-2028 Filed 1-29-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P