[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 9 (Friday, January 13, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2349-2350]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-00611]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

U.S. 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 proposing revisions and requesting a three-year 
extension 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. EIA 
proposes to make changes to instructions to Forms EIA-3, EIA-7A, and 
EIA-8A and requests an extension to Forms EIA-6 and EIA-20 with no 
changes. The changes to Forms EIA-3, EIA-7A, and EIA-8A will reduce the 
burden of this collection while maintaining the utility and integrity 
of the data.

DATES: EIA must receive all comments on this proposed information 
collection no later than March 14, 2023. 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 Rosalyn Berry electronically at 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rosalyn Berry, (202) 586-1026 email: 
[email protected]. The forms and instructions are available on EIA's 
website at https://www.eia.gov/survey/changes/coal/2023/.

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 with 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 coal production operations, 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

[[Page 2350]]

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 also collects coal market data. The data elements include 
production, consumption, receipts, stocks, sales, and prices. 
Information pertaining to the quality of the coal is also collected, 
including heat content, ash content, sulfur content and contents of 
mercury. 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.
    (4a) Proposed Changes: EIA will be requesting a three-year 
extension of approval for all its coal surveys with the following 
changes:

Form EIA-3: Quarterly Survey of Industrial, Commercial, & Institutional 
Coal Users

     Revise the instructions to indicate only active users of 
coal need report. Currently, respondents are required to report if 
they've consumed more than 1,000 short tons in the past year. 
Respondents who switch from coal to gas are still required to file the 
EIA-3 for up to almost a year after they stop consuming coal. The 
proposed change will make it easier for respondents who permanently 
stop consuming coal to be removed from the survey frame, thereby 
reducing the reporting burden of this collection.

Form EIA-7A: Annual Survey of Coal Production and Preparation

     Revise the instructions to indicate all coal mining 
companies that owned a mining operation which produced 50,000 or more 
short tons of coal during the reporting year must submit the Form EIA-
7A, except for anthracite mines. The current threshold for anthracite 
mines of 10,000 short tons would remain the same. The proposed change 
in reporting threshold from 25,000 to 50,000 short tons will reduce the 
reporting burden of this collection while maintaining the utility and 
integrity of the data.
     Revise the instructions to remove the notes for Part 3 
Question 10 advising respondents how to convert longitude and latitude, 
referencing an external document on EIA's website. These instructions 
are outdated and unnecessary.

Form EIA-8A: Annual Survey of Coal Stocks and Coal Exports

     Add an instruction to Part 2, Question 1 and Part 3 
Question 1 to exclude stocks and exports already reported on the Form 
EIA-7A. Some respondents file both Forms EIA-7A and EIA-8A, especially 
companies with parent companies. The proposed change will avoid 
duplication of data collection, thereby reducing the reporting burden 
on Form EIA-8A respondents.
    (5) Estimated Number of Survey Respondents: 833.
     Form EIA-3 will consist of 290 respondents;
     Form EIA-7A will consist of 480 respondents;
     Form EIA-8A will consist of 44 respondents;
     Form EIA-6 (standby) will consist of 10 respondents;
     Form EIA-20 (standby) will consist of 9 respondents.
    (6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 1,830.
    (7) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 3,149.
    (8) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: 
$262,564 (3,149 burden hours times $83.38 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.
    Statutory Authority: 15 U.S.C. 772(b) and 42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on January 10th, 2023.
Samson A. Adeshiyan,
Director, Office of Statistical Methods and Research, U.S. Energy 
Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-00611 Filed 1-12-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P