Agency Information Collection Extension Without Changes
EIA invites public comment on the proposed three-year extension, without changes, to Form EIA-846 Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey Report as required under the Paperwork ...
U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Department of Energy (DOE).
ACTION:
Notice and request for comments.
SUMMARY:
EIA invites public comment on the proposed three-year extension, without changes, to Form EIA-846 Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey Report as required under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The report is part of EIA's comprehensive energy data program. Form EIA-846 Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey Report (quadrennial) collects information on energy consumption, expenditures, and building characteristics from establishments in the manufacturing sector.
DATES:
EIA must receive all comments on this proposed information collection no later than October 27, 2026. 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:
You may submit comments, identified by OMB control number 1905-0169, by email at
EIA-FRNcomments@eia.gov.
Include the OMB control number listed in the subject line of the message.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Debra Coaxum, Acting EIA Clearance Officer, at (202) 586-7876 or by email at
EIA-FRNcomments@eia.gov.
The form and instructions are available on EIA's website at
www.eia.gov/survey/.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments are invited 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
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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.
This information collection request contains:
(1)
OMB No.:
1905-0169;
(2)
Information Collection Request Title:
Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS);
(3)
Type of Request:
Extension without changes;
(4)
Purpose:
Form EIA-846 will be a self-administered sample survey of the U.S. manufacturing sector. Specifically, EIA proposes to limit the sample to sector codes 31-33 of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The information from this survey is used to publish aggregate statistics on the energy consumption of the manufacturing sector, including energy purchases, expenditures, transfers in and shipments out, onsite generation, and both fuel and nonfuel use. The survey also gathers information on energy-related issues such as onsite electricity generation, purchases of electricity from utilities and non-utilities, and fuel switching capabilities. To maintain an updated National Energy Modeling System (NEMS) and greenhouse gases data series, Form EIA-846 will also be used to update the historical industrial energy consumption benchmarks.
The information collection and the content of the 2026 MECS will be unchanged from the 2022 survey. Most respondents will submit their data electronically in a question-answer format as opposed to the spreadsheet format used in the past. The MECS information products will continue to present industry-by-Census Region level data as well as national data.
(5)
Annual Estimated Number of Respondents:
15,000;
(6)
Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses:
3,750;
(7)
Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours:
34,565;
(8)
Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden:
$3,281,601 (34,565 annual burden hours multiplied by $94.94 per burden hour). EIA estimates that respondents will have no additional costs associated with the survey, however a slight amount of burden hours may be necessary to conduct data follow-up questioning. The number of respondents affected by the data follow-up questioning will be minimal and the associated burden hours are negligible;
www.eia.gov/survey/
15 U.S.C. 772(b)