[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 231 (Monday, December 2, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65977-65978]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26005]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Extension

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: EIA is requesting a three-year extension without changes of 
the Coal Markets Reporting System as required under the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. The Coal Markets Reporting System (CMRS) 
consists of 5 surveys including, Form EIA-3 Quarterly Survey of Non-
Electric Sector Coal Data, Form EIA-7A Annual Survey of Coal Production 
and Preparation, Form EIA-8A Annual Survey of Coal Stocks and Coal 
Exports, Form EIA-6 Emergency Coal Supply Survey (Standby), and Form 
EIA-20 Emergency Weekly Coal Monitoring Survey for Coal Burning Power 
Producers (Standby). The CMRS collects data on U.S. coal production, 
quality, consumption, receipts, stocks, and prices.

DATES: EIA must receive all comments on this proposed information 
collection no later than January 31, 2020. If you anticipate any 
difficulties in submitting your comments by the deadline, contact the 
person listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice as soon as 
possible.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments to Sara Hoff electronically at 
[email protected] or by mail to Office of Energy Production, Conversion, 
& Delivery, U.S. Energy Information Administration, Forrestal Building, 
U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave. SW, EI-23, 
Washington, DC 20585.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sara Hoff, (202) 586-1242. The forms 
and instructions are available on EIA's website at http://www.eia.gov/survey/changes/coal/2020/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    This information collection request contains:
    (1) OMB Control Number: 1905-0167;
    (2) Information Collection Request Title: Coal Markets Reporting 
System;
    (3) Type of Request: Three-year extension without changes;
    (4) Purpose: The Coal Markets Reporting System (CMRS) program 
collects, evaluates, assembles, analyzes, and disseminates information 
on coal production, sales, technology, reserves, and related economic 
and statistical information. This information is used to assess the 
adequacy of coal and other 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.
    Form EIA-3 collects quarterly data on the use of coal at U.S. 
manufacturing plants, coal transformation/processing plants, coke 
plants, and commercial and institutional users of coal. Form EIA-7A 
collects characteristics of coalbeds mined, recoverable reserves, 
production capacity, coal sales and revenue, stocks held at mines, and 
the disposition of the coal mined. For coal preparation, information 
collected includes operations, locations, production capacity, 
disposition, and volume of coal prepared. Form EIA-8A collects data on 
coal stocks by state location, exported coal by origin state, and 
export revenue of coal sold during the reporting year.
    Form EIA-6 Emergency Coal Supply Survey and Form EIA-20 Emergency 
Weekly Coal Monitoring Survey for Coal Burning Power Producers are 
standby surveys used during periods of coal supply and transportation 
disruptions. In the event of a supply or transportation disruption, 
these two standby surveys activate and operate weekly over a ten week 
period. Once activated, Form EIA-6 collects weekly coal production and 
stocks data from U.S. coal mining companies. Data are aggregated and 
reported at the state level. During disruptive events, Form EIA-20 
collects available coal-fired capacity, generation, consumption, and 
stocks from coal-fired electric power generators.
    The CMRS collects coal market data and information pertaining to 
the quality of the coal, including heat content, ash content, sulfur 
content and contents of mercury and chlorides. Aggregates of this 
collection are used to support analysis on the effects of public policy 
on the coal industry, economic modeling, forecasting, coal supply and 
demand studies, and in guiding research and development programs. The 
data are included in EIA publications, such as the Monthly Energy 
Review, Quarterly Coal Report, Quarterly Coal Distribution Report, 
Annual Coal Report, and Annual Coal Distribution Report.
    EIA also uses the data in short-term and long-term forecast models 
such as the Short-Term Integrated Forecasting System (STIFS) and the 
National Energy Modeling System (NEMS) Coal Market Module. The forecast 
data also appear in the Short-Term Energy Outlook and the Annual Energy 
Outlook publications.
    (5) Estimated Number of Survey Respondents: 1,164.
     Form EIA-3 has 397 respondents;
     Form EIA-7A has 692 respondents;
     Form EIA-8A has 48 respondents;
     Form EIA-6 (standby) has 15 respondents;
     Form EIA-20 (standby) has 12 respondents.
    (6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 2,598.
    (7) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 4,417.
    (8) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: 
$346,823 (4,417 burden hours times $78.52 per hour). EIA estimates that 
there are no additional costs to respondents associated with the 
surveys other than the costs associated with the burden hours since the 
information is maintained during normal course of business.
    Comments are invited on whether or not: (a) The proposed collection 
of information is necessary for the proper performance of agency 
functions, including whether the information will have a practical 
utility; (b) EIA's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used, is accurate; (c) EIA can improve the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information it will collect; and (d) EIA can minimize 
the burden of the collection of information on respondents, such as 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.


[[Page 65978]]


    Statutory Authority:  15 U.S.C. 772(b) and 42 U.S.C. 7101 et 
seq.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on November 26, 2019.
Nanda Srinivasan,
Director, Office of Statistical Methods & Research, U.S. Energy 
Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 2019-26005 Filed 11-29-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P