[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29777-29778]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-13678]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Extension

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EIA submitted an information collection request for extension 
as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The information 
collection requests a three-year extension with changes to Form EIA-
63C, Densified Biomass Fuel Report under OMB Control Number 1905-0209. 
Form EIA-63C collects data on wood pellet fuel and other densified 
biomass fuel production, sales, and inventory levels from U.S. 
manufacturing facilities of densified biomass fuel products for the 
purpose of estimating densified biomass fuel consumption in the United 
States, as well as production, sales, and inventory at state, regional, 
and national levels.

DATES: EIA must receive all comments on this proposed information 
collection no later than July 26, 2018. If you anticipate any 
difficulties in submitting your comments by the deadline, contact the 
DOE Desk Officer at 202-395-0710.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to:
DOE Desk Officer: Brandon Debruhl, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, New Executive Office 
Building, Room 10102, 735 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503, Email: 
[email protected].
and to:
Connor Murphy, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Energy Information 
Administration, 1000 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20585, Email: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions, 
should be directed to Connor Murphy at 202-287-5982, or by email 
[email protected]. You can view Form EIA-63C Densified Biomass Fuel 
Report online at https://www.eia.gov/survey/#eia-63c.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This information collection request 
contains:
    (1) OMB No. 1905-0209;
    (2) Information Collection Request Title: Densified Biomass Fuel 
Report;
    (3) Type of Request: Three-year extension with changes;
    (4) Purpose: Form EIA-63C Densified Biomass Fuel Report is part of 
EIA's comprehensive energy data program. The survey collects 
information on the manufacture, shipment, exports, energy 
characteristics, and sales of pellet fuels and other densified biomass 
fuel products data from facilities that manufacture densified biomass 
fuel products, primarily pellet fuels, for energy applications. The 
data collected are a primary source of information for the nation's 
growing production of biomass products for heating and electric power 
generation, for use in both domestic and foreign markets.
    (4a) Changes to Information Collection: Respondents will no longer 
have to answer the following six questions:

 Part 2 Question 2.2 ``What is the operational month''
 Part 2 Question 2.4 ``What is the total installed horsepower 
of the pellet extrusion machinery at this facility''
 Part 2. Question 2.6 ``What is the planned maximum annual 
production capacity at this facility''
 Part 2. Question 2.7 ``What is the planned total installed 
horsepower of the pellet extrusion machinery at this facility''
 Part 3. Question 3.2 ``In the reporting period, did the mill 
utilize any portion of the above feedstock for uses other than 
transformation into densified biomass products, such as to operate the 
mill, produce electricity (combined heat and power) or other beneficial 
use of energy produced (such as heating/cooling)''
 Part 4. Question 4.2 ``Export Port.''

    EIA also removed the requirement to report quantity, 
characteristics, inventory, and revenue data on compressed fuel logs, 
bricks and briquettes from on questions 3.3, 3.4 and 4.1.
    Finally, the due date for annual respondents (small biomass fuel 
manufacturers having a capacity of less than 10,000 tons per year or 
planned facilities) to report is changed from February 1 to June 1 to 
coincide with the industry's off-season and ease their reporting burden 
during the heating season which is their busiest time of the year. 
Respondents that need to file annually will only need to report limited 
data in Parts 1 and 2 of the form;
    (5) Annual Estimated Number of Respondents: 108;
    (6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 1,065;
    (7) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 1,467;
    (8) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: The 
cost of the burden hours is estimated to be $111,026 (1,467 burden 
hours times $75.69 per hour). 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 as 15 U.S.C. 
772(b) and the DOE Organization Act of 1977, Pub. L. 95-91, codified at 
42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.


[[Page 29778]]


    Issued in Washington, DC, on June 15, 2018.
Nanda Srinivasan
Director, Office of Survey Development and Statistical Integration U.S. 
Energy Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 2018-13678 Filed 6-25-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P