U.s. Energy Information Administration March 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The EIA invites public comment on a proposed collection of information that EIA is developing for submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The EIA is soliciting comments on the proposed reinstatement of the Forms EIA-871A-J, ``2012 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey.'' The Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-275, 15 U.S.C. 761 et seq.) and the DOE Organization Act (Pub. L. 95-91, 42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) require the EIA to carry out a centralized, comprehensive, and unified energy information program. This program collects, evaluates, assembles, analyzes, and disseminates information on energy resource reserves, production, demand, technology, and related economic and statistical information. This information is used to assess the adequacy of energy resources to meet near and longer-term domestic demands. The EIA, as part of its effort to comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), provides the general public and other Federal agencies with opportunities to comment on collections of energy information conducted by or in conjunction with the EIA. Any comments received help the EIA to prepare data requests that maximize the utility of the information collected, and to assess the impact of collection requirements on the public. Also, the EIA will later seek approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under Section 3507(a) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) has been conducted nine times covering the years 1979, 1983 and 1986 under the name of the ``Nonresidential Buildings Energy Consumption Survey,'' and years 1989, 1992, 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007 under the current name, ``Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey.'' CBECS collects baseline data on energy consumption and expenditures in commercial buildings, and on the energy-related characteristics of those buildings. To obtain this information, interviews are conducted for a sample of commercial buildings representing the 50 States and the District of Columbia. For buildings in the survey, data are collected on the types, amount and cost of energy consumed in the building, how the energy is used, structural characteristics of the buildings, activities conducted inside the buildings that relate to energy use, building ownership and occupancy, energy conservation measures, and energy-using equipment. The information will be collected using computer assisted interviewing for the 2012 CBECS; interviews will be conducted both in-person and by telephone. For those buildings that cannot provide energy consumption data for the building, the data will be obtained in a follow-up survey (historically a mail survey) from the suppliers of electricity, natural gas, fuel oil and/or district heat to the building, after receiving permission from the building owner, manager or tenant. This survey to the energy suppliers is mandatory. The data obtained from the CBECS are available to the public in a variety of EIA electronic tables and reports at https://www.eia.gov/ emeu/cbecs. Public use files that have been screened to protect the identity of the individual respondents are also available electronically at the above web address. Selected data from the surveys are also published in the Annual Energy Review.

EIA, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, intends to extend for three years the petroleum marketing survey forms listed below with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB): EIA-14, ``Refiners' Monthly Cost Report;'' EIA-182, ``Domestic Crude Oil First Purchase Report;'' EIA-782A, ``Refiners'/Gas Plant Operators' Monthly Petroleum Product Sales Report;'' EIA-782C, ``Monthly Report of Prime Supplier Sales of Petroleum Products Sold For Local Consumption;'' EIA-821, ``Annual Fuel Oil and Kerosene Sales Report;'' EIA-856, ``Monthly Foreign Crude Oil Acquisition Report;'' EIA-863, ``Petroleum Product Sales Identification Survey;'' EIA-877, ``Winter Heating Fuels Telephone Survey;'' EIA-878, ``Motor Gasoline Price Survey;'' EIA-888, ``On-Highway Diesel Fuel Price Survey;'' Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed 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; and (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.