[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 228 (Tuesday, November 27, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70741-70742]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-28700]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

U.S. Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Extension

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

ACTION: Notice and request for OMB review and comment.

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SUMMARY: EIA has submitted a request to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) to revise a currently-approved data collection under the 
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. EIA proposes the 
following changes to Form EIA-886, Annual Survey of Alternative Fueled 
Vehicles, data collection: (1) The addition of a new vehicle 
classification code to allow EIA to capture data on plug-in hybrid 
electric vehicles (PHEVs), which are new to the alternative fuel 
industry, and (2) the redesign of the questionnaire for the purposes of 
improving data quality and reducing reporting burdens on respondents to 
the data collection.
    The Form EIA-886 data are collected from suppliers and users of 
alternative-fueled vehicles (AFVs). EIA uses data from these groups as 
a basis for estimating total AFV and alternative transportation fuel 
(ATF) use in the U.S. These data serve as market analysis tools for 
federal/state agencies, AFV suppliers, vehicle fleet managers, and 
other interested organizations and persons. The data are used to 
satisfy the annual reporting requirements to Congress by providing 
statistical measures on the extent to which the objectives of the 
Energy Policy Act of 1992 are being achieved. These data are also 
needed to satisfy numerous public requests for detailed information on 
AFVs and ATFs (in particular, the number of AFVs distributed by state, 
as well as the amount and location of the ATFs being consumed).

DATES: Comments regarding this collection must be received on or before 
December 27, 2012. 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 DOE Desk Officer at OMB of 
your intention to make a submission as soon as possible. The Desk 
Officer may be telephoned at 202-395-4718 or contacted by email at 
[email protected].

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to the:

DOE Desk Officer, 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

Cynthia Amezcua, U.S. Energy Information Administration, EI-22, 1000 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585, Fax 202-586-9753, 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Cynthia Amezcua by phone at 202-586-1658 or by email at 
the address listed, above. The collection instrument and instructions 
are also available on the Internet at:

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Purpose & Instructions.................  https://eiaweb.inl.gov/clearance2012/eiaweb-frm886Inst.png
Part 1: Identification.................  https://eiaweb.inl.gov/clearance2012/eiaweb-frm886P1.png
Part 2: Data from Users................  https://eiaweb.inl.gov/clearance2012/eiaweb-frm886P2.png
Part 2: Data from Users (with fuel type  https://eiaweb.inl.gov/
 drop down).                              clearance2012/eiaweb-frm886P2-
                                          wFuelConfigs.png
Part 3: Data from Suppliers............  https://eiaweb.inl.gov/clearance2012/eiaweb-frm886P3.png
Part 3: Data from Suppliers (with fuel   https://eiaweb.inl.gov/
 type drop down).                         clearance2012/eiaweb-frm886P3-
                                          wFTypeConfig.png
Code Reference Sheet...................  https://eiaweb.inl.gov/clearance2012/eiaweb-frm886CodeRef.png

[[Page 70742]]

 
Definitions............................  https://eiaweb.inl.gov/clearance2012/eiaweb-frm886Defs.png
Sanctions, Burden & Confidentiality....  https://eiaweb.inl.gov/clearance2012/eiaweb-frm886Info.png
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This information collection request 
contains:
    (1) OMB No. 1905-0191;
    (2) Information Collection Request Title: Annual Survey of 
Alternative Fueled Vehicles;
    (3) Type of Request: Revision of currently approved collection;
    (4a) Purpose: Form EIA-886 is an annual survey that collects 
information on the number and type of AFVs and other advanced 
technology vehicles that vehicle suppliers made available in the 
previous calendar year and plan to make available in the following 
calendar year; the number, type and geographic distribution of AFVs in 
use in the previous calendar year; and the amount and distribution of 
each type of ATF consumed in the previous calendar year. Form EIA-886 
data are collected from suppliers and users of AFVs.
    EIA uses data from these groups as a basis for estimating total AFV 
and ATF use in the U.S. These data are needed by federal and state 
agencies, fuel suppliers, transit agencies and other fleets to 
determine if sufficient quantities of AFVs are available for purchase 
and to provide Congress with a measure of the extent to which the 
objectives of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 are being achieved. These 
data satisfy the reporting requirements to Congress under Section 
503(b)(2) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 and serve as market analysis 
tools for federal/state agencies, AFV suppliers, vehicle fleet 
managers, and other interested organizations and persons. These data 
are also needed to satisfy numerous public requests for detailed 
information on AFVs and ATFs (in particular, the number of AFVs 
distributed by State, as well as the amount and location of the ATFs 
being consumed).
    EIA publishes summary information from the Form EIA-886 database in 
an annual Alternative Fuel Vehicle Data report on EIA's Web site 
(http://www.eia.gov/renewable/afv/). This report covers historical and 
projected supplies of AFVs, AFV usage by selected user groups, and 
estimates of total U.S. AFV counts and U.S. consumption of ATFs. These 
data provide baseline inputs for DOE's transportation sector energy 
models and the energy consumption measures for ATFs in EIA's State 
Energy Data System. For example, EIA's National Energy Modeling System 
(NEMS) has a component model that forecasts transportation sector 
energy consumption and provides a framework for AFV policy and 
technology analysis. The data obtained from Form EIA-886 are used to 
improve the explanatory power of the NEMS Transportation Demand Model 
by allowing for greater detail in representing AFV types and 
characteristics;
    (4b) Proposed Changes to Information Collection: EIA proposes to 
modify the drop-down selection menus under Form EIA-886 Parts 2 and 3 
to include the fuel type/engine configuration code ``EVC-PH'' to 
capture data on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV). PHEVs are 
considered alternative fueled vehicles under the Energy Policy Act of 
1992 definition of an alternative fueled vehicle because their primary 
fuel source is electricity; however, PHEVs differ from straight 
battery-powered electric vehicles because they use the electric battery 
as the primary energy source, relying on battery power for propulsion 
for a limited range (15-40 miles) before switching to internal 
combustion propulsion. Currently, EIA collects data on electric 
battery-powered vehicles with the code ``EVC BP.'' Adding the code 
``EVC PH'' will differentiate between straight battery-powered AFVs and 
PHEVs.
    EIA also proposes reformatting the Form EIA-886 to better use 
visual design to reduce the respondent's burden, while not changing the 
existing constructs being measured on the form. For example, 
instructions will be placed next to the questions where they are 
needed, and dense paragraphs will be broken up into bullet-pointed 
lists. Survey methodology literature and empirical evidence from 
cognitive testing of other forms suggests these changes, along with 
formatting edits, should allow respondents to read and more easily 
process the information.
    (5) Type of Respondents: Suppliers of alternative-fueled vehicles 
are required to report;
    (6) Annual Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,050;
    (7) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 2,050;
    (8) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 8,215;
    (9) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: No 
additional costs beyond burden hours are anticipated from the proposed 
collection instrument revision.

Statutory Authority

    The legal authority for this data collection effort is provided by 
the following provisions: Section 13(b) of the Federal Energy 
Administration Act of 1974, Public Law 93-275, (FEA Act), and codified 
at 15 U.S.C. Sec.  772 (b), and Section 503(b)(2) of the Energy Policy 
Act of 1992, Public Law 102-486 (EPACT92) codified at 42 U.S.C. 13253.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on November 20, 2012.
Stephanie Brown,
Director, Office of Survey Development and Statistical Integration, 
U.S. Energy Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 2012-28700 Filed 11-26-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P