[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 240 (Friday, December 14, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 64341]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-27124]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Extension With Changes

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 
with changes as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The 
information collection requests a three-year extension of its 
Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS), OMB Control 
Number 1905-0145. The first part of the collection gathers detailed 
information about buildings that are used for commercial purposes (such 
as building size, age, structural characteristics, operating hours, 
ownership, energy sources and uses, and the types of energy-related 
equipment used) from building owners, managers, and tenants. The second 
part of the collection assembles monthly energy consumption and 
expenditures from the energy suppliers of the sampled buildings.

DATES: Comments on this information collection must be received no 
later than January 14, 2019. If you anticipate any difficulties in 
submitting your comments by the deadline, contact the DOE Desk Officer 
at (202) 395-4718.

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 protected] 
and to Joelle Michaels, CBECS Survey Manager, U.S. Department of 
Energy, EI-22, 1000 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20585 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joelle Michaels (202) 586-8952, or 
email [email protected]. Form EIA-871 and its instructions can be 
viewed at https://www.eia.gov/survey/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    This information collection request contains
    (1) OMB No.: 1905-0145;
    (2) Information Collection Request Title: Commercial Buildings 
Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS);
    (3) Type of Request: Three-year extension with changes;
    (4) Purpose: CBECS collects data on energy consumed in commercial 
buildings and the characteristics of the buildings. The surveys fulfill 
planning, analyses and decision-making needs of DOE, other federal 
agencies, state and local governments, and the private sector. 
Respondents are owners/managers of selected commercial buildings and 
their energy suppliers.
    (4a) Changes to Information Collection: The proposed design, 
procedures, and forms for the 2018 CBECS reflect a number of changes 
from the 2012 CBECS. These changes include: First, the option for 
respondents to complete the CBECS using a self-administered online 
questionnaire; Second, Forms EIA-871B Authorization Form, EIA-871G 
Worksheet 1: Characteristics, Energy Sources, and Equipment, and EIA-
871H Worksheet 2: Energy Amounts Used and Dollars Spent are no longer 
needed and are deleted; Third, most of the real-time automatic edits 
from the questionnaire are deleted to reduce interview time and burden; 
Fourth, building respondents will not be asked to report monthly energy 
data; and Fifth, numerous individual question changes, additions, and 
deletions are contained in Forms EIA-871A, C, D, E, F, I and J to keep 
the survey content relevant to data user needs.
    (5) Annual Estimated Number of Respondents: 5,718;
    (6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 5,718;
    (7) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 2,618;
    (8) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: The 
estimated annualized cost of the burden hours is $193,784 ((10,472 
total burden hours * $74.02)/4 year collection cycle). EIA estimates 
that there are no additional costs to respondents associated with this 
survey other than the costs associated with the burden hours.

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

    Signed in Washington, DC, on December 2, 2018.
Nanda Srinivasan,
Director, Office of Survey Development and Statistical Integration, 
U.S. Energy Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 2018-27124 Filed 12-13-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P