Proposed Revision and Extension of Forms

I. Background II. Current Actions III. Request for Comments

I. Background

In order to fulfill its responsibilities under the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. No. 93-275) and the Department of Energy Organization Act (Pub. L. No. 95-91), the Energy Information Administration is obliged to carry out a central, comprehensive, and unified energy data and information program. As part of this program EIA collects, evaluates, assembles, analyzes, and disseminates data and information related to energy resource reserves, production, demand, and technology, and related economic and statistical information relevant to the adequacy of energy resources to meet demands in the near and longer term future for the Nation's economic and social needs. The Energy Information Administration, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden (required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. No. 104-13)), conducts a presurvey consultation program to provide the general public and other Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing reporting forms. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden is minimized, reporting forms are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. To meet this responsibility, as well as internal DOE requirements that are dependent on accurate data, the EIA has developed an ongoing program of national sample surveys on energy consumption in the manufacturing, commercial, residential, and residential transportation sectors. The RECS has been designed by EIA to collect data on energy consumption in the residential sector. Information about the housing unit is collected through voluntary interviews with a representative national sample of approximately 6,500 households. Households are asked about what energy is used for in the home and characteristics of energy-using equipment. Data are also collected on household demographics (e.g., income, size, origin) and the housing unit's physical characteristics. Data on actual energy consumption and expenditures are obtained through a mandatory mailed survey that requests the billing records from the household's energy suppliers. The RECS has been conducted annually from 1980 through 1982 and triennially beginning in 1984. The data are disseminated in two publications, one entitled Housing Characteristics and the other Household Energy Consumption and Expenditures.

II. Current Actions

For the 1996 RECS, the EIA proposes several changes to the existing collection. The extension from the currently approved OMB expiration date (May 31, 1996) has been proposed for three years (through May 31, 1999). The household questionnaire (Form EIA-457A) for the 1996 RECS will be considerably shorter than it was for 1993. Almost all areas in which information has been collected will be reduced. The most significant is dropping the measurement of floorspace. Questions on consumer decision making, new technologies, demand-side management programs, and detail on new homes will be dropped. Less information will be collected on the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, characteristics of household members, wood burning, insulation, and lights. Form EIA-457H, the Lighting Supplement, will be eliminated and fewer questions will be asked about light usage, reducing the liklihood that EIA can produce an annual estimate for consumption of electricity for lighting. Energy suppliers will not be asked to provide information about their customer's participation in demand-side management programs or other energy conservation programs. Form EIA-457A, the in-person household interview, will be conducted partially using Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI). This technology involves replacing the paper and pencil procedure with a laptop computer. Using CAPI frees the interviewer from determining difficult branching operations in the questionnaire, notes inconsistent answers which can be resolved in the presence of the respondent, and speeds data delivery. The sample design for 1996 will not oversample low income homes nor newly constructed homes. The sample of 6,500 households will be comprised of 2,000 in-person interviews and 4,500 telephone interviews. Less information will be collected by telephone. The in-person interviews and telephone interviews will be combined into one data set on the basis that each represents a national sample of households. Adjustments will be necessary to the telephone survey to correct for biases that result from excluding households without telephones from the sample. The telephone method may not be used if an acceptable response rate cannot be achieved in a pretest currently underway. The response rate consists of successfully completing the telephone contact and receiving a signed authorization form from the household giving EIA permission to request the household's billing data from the energy supplier. If the telephone mode is not used, the sample of in-person interviews will be

increased from 2,000 to 3,000 interviews.

III. Request for Comments

Prospective respondents and other interested parties should comment on the proposed extension and revisions. The following general guidelines are provided to assist in the preparation of responses. Please indicate to which form(s) your comments apply.

General Issues

EIA is interested in receiving comments from persons regarding: A. Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility. Practical utility is the actual usefulness of information to or for an agency, taking into account its accuracy, adequacy, reliability, timeliness, and the agency's ability to process the information it collects. B. What enhancements can EIA make to the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected?

As a Potential Respondent

A. Are the instructions and definitions clear and sufficient? If not, which instructions require clarification? B. Can data be submitted in accordance with the due date specified in the instructions? C. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to average: 35 minutes per household for Form EIA-457A (2,000 in-person interviews at 45 minutes each and 4,500 telephone interviews at 30 minutes each), 20 minutes per household for Form EIA-457B, 15 minutes per response for Form EIA-457C, 30 minutes for Form EIA-457D, 30 minutes for Form EIA-457E, 30 minutes for Form EIA-457F, and 30 minutes for Form EIA-457G. Burden includes the total time, effort, or financial resources expended to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or provide the information including: (1) Reviewing instruction; (2) developing, acquiring, installing, and utilizing technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, verifying, processing, maintaining, disclosing and providing information; (3) adjusting the existing ways to comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements; (4) training personnel to respond to a collection of information; (5) searching data sources; (6) completing and reviewing the collection of information; and (7) transmitting, or otherwise disclosing the information. Please comment on (1) the accuracy of our estimate and (2) how the agency could minimize the burden of the collection of information, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. D. What is the estimated cost of completing each this form, including the direct and indirect costs associated with the data collection? The following estimated costs are provided for comment. $21 per household for Form EIA-457A, $13 per household for Form EIA-457B, $9 per response for Form EIA-457C, $18 for Form EIA-457D, $18 for Form EIA-457E, $18 for Form EIA-457F, and $18 for Form EIA-457G. Direct costs should include all costs, such as administrative costs, directly attributable to providing this information. E. Do you know of any other Federal, State, or local agency that collects similar data? If you do, specify the agency, the data element(s), and the methods of collection.

As a Potential User

A. Can you use data at the levels of detail indicated on the form? B. For what purpose would you use the data? Be specific. C. Are there alternate sources of data and do you use them? What are their deficiencies and/or strengths? D. For the most part, information is published by EIA in U.S. customary units, e.g., cubic feet of natural gas, short tons of coal, and barrels of oil. Would you prefer to see EIA publish more information in metric units, e.g., cubic meters, metric tons, and kilograms? If yes, please specify what information (e.g., coal production, natural gas consumption, and crude oil imports), the metric unit(s) of measurement preferred, and in which EIA publication(s) you would like to see such information. Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of the form; they also will become a matter of public record.

Statutory Authorities: Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. No. 104-13).

Issued in Washington, D.C. December 21, 1995. John Gross, Acting Director, Office of Statistical Standards, Energy Information Administration. [FR Doc. 95-31565 Filed 12-29-95; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P