[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 153 (Tuesday, August 9, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52669-52670]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-18849]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy


Proposed Agency Information Collection Extension

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. 
Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, is proposing to amend an information collection request 
with the Office of Management and Budget by adding an additional 
collection to an ICR that already includes two previously approved 
collections. The two previously approved collections address DOE's 
Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV) Scorecard, and the National Clean Fleets 
Partnership. The proposed new collection is entitled ``Ride and Drive 
Surveys for PEV Showcases''. DOE's Clean Cities initiative has 
developed a three-part voluntary ride-and-drive survey to assist its 
coalitions and stakeholders in assessing the level of interest, 
understanding, and acceptance of PEVs and alternative fuel vehicles 
(AFV) by the purchasing public. The principal objective of the Survey 
is to provide DOE and stakeholders with an objective assessment and 
estimate of how ready the purchasing public is for PEVs, and to help 
DOE's Clean Cities coalitions prepare for the successful deployment of 
these vehicles. DOE intends the surveys to be completed by individuals 
who are participating in one of many ride-and-drive events.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
DOE, including whether the information shall have practical utility; 
(b) the accuracy of DOE'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 October 11, 2016. If you anticipate difficulty in 
submitting comments within that period, contact the person listed below 
as soon as possible.

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 Mr. Dennis Smith, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable 
Energy (EE-3V), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue 
SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121, or by fax at 202-586-1600, or by email 
at [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Dennis Smith at the address listed 
above in ADDRESSES.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The amended information collection request 
contains (1) OMB No. 1910-5171; (2) Information Collection Request 
Title: Clean Cities Vehicle Programs; (3) Type of Review: Amended 
collection; (4) Purpose: As part of DOE's Office of Vehicle 
Technologies 2016 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) awards, DOE is 
awarding entities funding to run PEV showcases where drivers can 
experience driving a variety of PEVs and learn about charging electric 
vehicles. These awards are 50 percent cost share awards, meaning that 
recipients of an award under this FOA must supply 50 percent of the 
funds to complete each awarded project. Projects undertaken pursuant to 
this FOA are expected to include a survey component related to 
potential vehicle driver behavior. Thus, the DOE Clean Cities program 
has developed an initiative, the Ride and Drive Surveys for PEV 
Showcases, that includes a three-part voluntary ride-and-drive survey 
to assist its coalitions and stakeholders in assessing the level of 
interest, understanding, and acceptance of AFVs by the purchasing 
public. The principal objective of the Surveys is to provide DOE and 
stakeholders with an objective assessment and estimate of how ready the 
purchasing public is for PEVs, and to help DOE's Clean Cities 
coalitions prepare for the successful deployment of these vehicles.
    For the Ride and Drive Surveys for PEV Showcases collection, the 
effort will target public citizens who are participating in one of many 
Ride-and-Drive events. There are three phases to the Survey: (1) Pre 
Ride-and-Drive; (2) post Ride-and-Drive; and (3) a few months/some time 
later to discern if the respondent followed through with acquisition of 
a PEV or another AFV. Respondents would provide answers in the first 
two phases through a user-friendly paper survey and on-line survey, and 
in the third phase they would answer questions via an electronic 
interface, although a paper survey may be used for those lacking access 
to an electronic device or computer.
    The Surveys' effort will rely on responses to questions the 
respondent chooses to answer. The multiple-choice will questions 
address the following topic areas: (1) Demographics; (2) Current 
vehicle background; (3) How they learned about ride and drive event; 
(3) Perceptions of PEVs before and after driving; (4) Post-drive 
vehicle experience; (5) Purchase expectations; (6) Follow-up survey 
subsequent behaviors; (7) Purchase information; (8) Barriers; and (9) 
Future intentions.
    DOE expects a total respondent population for the amended 
collection (which would include the three collections) of approximately 
16,250 respondents (an increase of 15,000 over the number of 
respondents for the two currently approved collections). Selecting the 
multiple choice answers in

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completing the three components of the Survey is expected to take 30 
minutes, leading to a total burden of approximately 28,250 hours (an 
increase 2,500 hours above the total burden in hours for the two 
currently approved collections).
    (5) Type of Respondents: Public; (6) Annual Estimated Number of 
Respondents for all three information collections: 16,250; (7) Annual 
Estimated Number of Total Responses: 16,300; (7) Annual Estimated 
Number of Burden Hours: 28,250 (25,625 for PEV Scorecard, 125 for Clean 
Fleets Partnership, and 2,500 for the Ride and Drive Surveys for PEV 
Showcases); and (8) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost 
Burden: There is no cost associated with reporting and recordkeeping.

    Statutory Authority: 42 U.S.C. 13233; 42 U.S.C. 13252 (a)-(b); 
42 U.S.C. 13255.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on August 3, 2016.
Kathryn C. Cooper,
Acting Director, Vehicle Technologies Office, Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2016-18849 Filed 8-8-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P