[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 243 (Wednesday, December 20, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60384-60385]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-27396]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

U.S. Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Activity; Extension

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: EIA, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, intends 
to extend with changes for three years with the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB), Form EIA-886, Annual Survey of Alternative Fueled 
Vehicles. Form EIA-886 collects information on the number of 
alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) made available, the distribution of 
AFVs in use, and alternative transportation fuels (ATFs) consumed.

DATES: Comments regarding this proposed information collection must be 
received on or before February 20, 2018. If you anticipate difficulty 
in submitting comments within that period, contact the person listed in 
the ADDRESSES section below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be sent to Cynthia Sirk, EI-22, U.S. 
Energy Information Administration, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, 
Washington, DC 20585, or by fax at (202) 586-9753, or by email at 
[email protected].

[[Page 60385]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Cynthia Sirk by phone at (202) 586-1658, or by email at 
[email protected]. Access to the proposed form, instructions, and 
internet data collection screens can be found at: https://www.eia.gov/survey/form/eia_886/proposed/2018/form.pdf.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the 
expanded 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; (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; and (e) ways to identify alternate sources of AFV 
information EIA proposes to collect. EIA will evaluate comments on 
duplication of data sources based on terms of data coverage, level of 
aggregation, frequency of collection, data reliability, and statutory 
requirements to determine whether alternate data sources represent a 
suitable substitute for EIA data.
    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: Renewal, with Changes;
    (4) Purpose: Form EIA-886 is an annual survey that collects 
information on the number and type of alternative fueled vehicles 
(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 alternative transportation fuel 
(ATF) consumed in the previous calendar year. Form EIA-886 data are 
collected from suppliers and users of AFVs. 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 serve as a tool for analysis on market penetration of AFVs 
in the motor vehicle population as well as trend analysis tools on the 
use and type of AFVs for Congress, federal/state agencies, AFV 
suppliers, vehicle fleet managers, and other interested organizations 
and persons.
    (4a) Proposed Changes to Information Collection: EIA is proposing 
two changes to Form EIA-886: (1) Collect more detailed vehicle type 
information and weight classifications from suppliers and users of 
AFVs; and (2) incorporate questions for electric vehicle users to gain 
a better understanding of refueling infrastructure and electricity 
consumption in electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
    (1) Changes to Vehicle Type and Weight Classifications: EIA 
proposes to standardize and break out weight classes to reflect 
industry standards by simplifying the list of vehicle type codes and 
adding a new column for detailed weight classifications in Parts 2 and 
3 of Form EIA-886. These changes support EPA's emission inventory Motor 
Vehicle Emission Simulator model (MOVES) by making the weight 
classifications in EIA's data collection consistent with the weight 
classifications used by EPA. The MOVES model is the official emissions 
inventory model for highway and non-road mobile sources used by EPA's 
Office of Transportation and Air Quality. This model is also used by 
state, local, and regional governments for environmental analysis of 
official submissions to EPA required by the Clean Air Act, such as 
State Implementation Plans (SIPs) and transportation conformity 
analysis for roadway construction. In addition, the MOVES model is 
instrumental in the development of national inventories used for 
evaluating the costs and benefits of EPA regulations, such as the 
second phase of the Greenhouse Gas Rule for Heavy-Duty Vehicles 
currently underway, including the predictions of the effects of EPA 
regulations on air quality.
    (2) Questions for Electric Vehicle Users: EIA seeks to gather 
tertiary information about electric vehicle power consumption to 
establish parameters for estimating consumption of electricity in its 
published report. EIA proposes to add questions to Part 2 of the form 
to collect information on charging patterns, mileage, and electric 
utility billing as it relates to electric vehicles.
    (5) Annual Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,050;
    (6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 2,050;
    (7) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 8,575;
    Average Burden per Response: 4.2 hours;
    AFV Suppliers (30 Original Equipment Manufacturers): 3.5 hours per 
response;
    AFV Suppliers (20 Aftermarket Vehicle Converters): 3 hours per 
response;
    AFV Users (100 complex fleets): 4.3 hours per response;
    AFV Users (1,900 simple fleets): 4.2 hours per response;
    (8) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: EIA 
estimates that there are no capital and start-up costs associated with 
this data collection. The information is maintained in the normal 
course of business. The cost of burden hours to the respondents is 
estimated to be $631,635 (8,575 burden hours times $73.66 per hour). 
Therefore, other than the cost of burden hours, EIA estimates that 
there are no additional costs for generating, maintaining, and 
providing the information.

    Statutory Authority:  Section 13(b) of the Federal Energy 
Administration Act of 1974, Pub. L. 93-275, (FEA Act), and codified 
at 15 U.S.C. 772 (b), and Section 503(b)(2) of the Energy Policy Act 
of 1992, Pub. L. 102-486 (EPACT92) codified at 42 U.S.C. 13253.

    Issued in Washington, DC on November 9, 2017.
Nanda Srinivasan,
Director, Office of Survey Development and Statistical Integration, 
U.S. Energy Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 2017-27396 Filed 12-19-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P