[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 100 (Friday, May 23, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29756-29757]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-12008]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Extension

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

ACTION: Agency Information Collection Activities: Information 
Collection Extension; Notice and Request for Comments.

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SUMMARY: The EIA, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
intends to extend for three years with the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB), Form EIA-846, ``Manufacturing Energy Consumption 
Survey.'' Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection 
of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions 
of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.

DATES: Comments regarding this proposed information collection must be 
received on or before July 22, 2014. If you anticipate difficulty in 
submitting comments within that period, contact the person listed in 
ADDRESSES as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be sent to Tom Lorenz, Office of Energy 
Consumption and Efficiency Statistics, EI-22, Forrestal Building, U.S. 
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20585 
or by fax at (202) 586-9753, or by email at [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Tom Lorenz at the address listed above. To view the form 
online please go to: http://www.eia.gov/survey/notice/consumption_mecs2014.cfm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This information collection request 
contains:
    (1) OMB No.: 1905-0169;
    (2) Information Collection Request Title: Manufacturing Energy 
Consumption Survey (MECS);
    (3) Type of Request: Reinstatement, with change, of a previously 
approved collection for which approval has expired;
    (4) Purpose:
    The Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 761 et 
seq.) and (42 U.S.C. 7135(i)) 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 and to promote sound 
policymaking, efficient markets, and public understanding of energy and 
its interaction with the economy and the environment.
    The Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS) is a self-
administered sample survey designed to collect energy consumption and 
expenditures data from establishments in the manufacturing sector; 
i.e., North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes 31-
33. Previous MECS required multiple collection forms depending on an 
establishment's primary business activity classification under NAICS. 
The increased use of technology by means of an Internet data collection 
system however, has allowed the MECS to eliminate the need to have 
multiple forms.
    The 2014 MECS will collect information during 2015 for business 
activities in calendar year 2014, and the 2016 MECS, if implemented, 
will collect information during 2017 for business activities in 
calendar year 2016. For the 2014 and 2016 MECS, as in the past, EIA 
proposes to collect the following data from each MECS establishment: 
(1) For each energy source consumed--consumption (total, fuel and 
nonfuel uses) and the expenditures for each energy source, energy 
storage (as applicable), energy produced onsite, and shipments (as 
applicable); (2) energy end uses; (3) fuel-switching capabilities (4) 
general energy-saving technologies; (5) energy management activities; 
and (6) square footage, and number of buildings in the establishment.
    The MECS has been conducted eight times previously, covering the 
years 1985, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010. In all eight 
survey years, the MECS has collected baseline data on manufacturers' 
energy consumption and expenditures. The MECS collected data on fuel-
switching capabilities in all years except 1998. In the 1991, 1994, 
1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010 surveys, the MECS also collected data on 
end-uses, energy management activities, building square footage, and 
energy-saving technologies.
    The MECS information is the basis for data and analytic products 
that can be found at http://www.eia.gov/consumption/manufacturing. Also 
on this Web site are past publications, articles, and a special 
analytic series, ``Industry Analysis Briefs.'' The 2014 and 2016 MECS 
will also be used to benchmark EIA's industry forecasting model and 
update changes in the energy intensity and greenhouse gases data 
series.
    The proposed 2014 and 2016 MECS uses experience gained from the 
administration and processing of the seven previous surveys and past 
consultations with respondents, trade association representatives, and 
data users to improve the survey.
    Please refer to the forms and instructions for more information 
about the purpose, who must report, when to report, where to submit, 
the elements to be reported, detailed instructions, provisions for 
confidentiality, and uses of the information. For instructions on 
obtaining materials, see the ``For Further Information Contact'' 
section;
    (4a) Proposed Changes to Information Collection:
    EIA proposes making several changes from the 2010 MECS for use in 
the 2014 and 2016 MECS. The first substantial change for the 2014 and 
2016 MECS is shortening the collection time frame. The past MECS 
cycles, going back to 1988, have been quadrennial surveys; however with 
the increased importance of relevant energy data, EIA is proposing to 
shorten the collection time frame from a quadrennial to a biennial 
survey.

[[Page 29757]]

This change doubles the response burden because EIA would be collecting 
two rounds of data from respondents under this OMB clearance number.
    In the past EIA has calculated the amount of petrochemical 
feedstocks and asphalt that are produced by a refinery and used 
elsewhere in manufacturing. To obtain more accurate estimates of these 
two energy sources EIA proposes collecting data about petrochemical 
feedstocks and asphalt. The data collected about petrochemical 
feedstocks and asphalt will be largely what the MECS collects about 
other energy sources; purchases, expenditures, transfers in, produced 
on-site, used as fuel and nonfuel, and shipments data. Petrochemical 
feedstocks and asphalt are used in a few industries, so the MECS will 
collect data about these energy sources from those NAICS codes that use 
this type of energy; namely, petrochemical manufacturing (NAICS 
325110), asphalt paving mixture and block manufacturing (NAICS 324121), 
and asphalt shingle and coating materials manufacturing (NAICS 324122). 
The response burden will be kept to a minimum because the data 
collected about petrochemical feedstocks and asphalt will only be 
collected from the industries listed above.
    EIA is working with the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) at DOE 
to reform the questions in the Energy Management and General 
Technologies sections on the MECS. The data collected would help EIA 
and DOE to develop manufacturing energy efficiency improvements. These 
will be ``Yes''/``No'' questions that will not significantly affect 
response burden.
    Further, EIA plans to ask iron and steel mills (NAICS 331111) about 
their use of blast furnaces and electric arc furnaces (EAF) at the 
establishment. This will help EIA identify whether an iron and steel 
mill is an integrated or a mini mill, and help determine if all the 
essential energy data has been collected from the establishment. These 
will be ``Yes''/``No'' questions that will not significantly affect 
response burden.
    Besides the changes already discussed, the content of the 2014 and 
2016 MECS will be largely unchanged from the 2010 survey. Most 
respondents will submit their data electronically in a question-answer 
format as opposed to the spreadsheet format used in the past. The MECS 
information products will continue to present industry-by-Census Region 
level data as well as national data;
    (5) Annual Estimated Number of Respondents: 31,000;
    (6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 10,333;
    (7) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 95,160;
    (8) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: EIA 
estimates that there are no additional costs to respondents associated 
with the survey other than the costs associated with the burden hours;

    Statutory Authority:  Section 13(b) of the Federal Energy 
Administration Act of 1974, Pub. L. 93-275, codified at 15 U.S.C. 
772(b).

    Issued in Washington, DC, on May 16, 2014.
Stephen Harvey,
Assistant Administrator of Energy Statistics, U.S. Energy Information 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2014-12008 Filed 5-22-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P