Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

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

I. Background

The Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-275, 15 U.S.C. 761 et seq.) and the Department of Energy Organization Act (Pub. L. 95-91, 42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) requires the Energy Information Administration (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. In addition, as specified in Section 171 (b)(k)(1) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (Pub. L. 102-486), EIA conducts surveys of residential and commercial energy use. 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) for the collections under Section 3507(h) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) has been conducted six times previously covering the years 1979, 1983 and 1986 under the name of the Nonresidential Buildings Energy Consumption Survey, and years 1989, 1992 and 1995 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 in 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, building ownership and occupancy, energy conservation measures, and energy-using equipment. The information will be collected using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) for the 1999 CBECS. For those buildings that cannot provide energy consumption data for the building, the data will be obtained in a mail survey from the suppliers of electricity, natural gas, fuel oil and district heat to the building, after receiving permission from the building owner, manager or tenant. This mail survey is mandatory. The data obtained from this survey are available to the public in a variety of EIA publications and electronic tables and reports. (The 1995 CBECS data were published in A Look at Commercial Buildings in 1995: Characteristics, Energy Consumption and Energy Expenditures.) These reports can also be obtained at www.eia.doe.gov/ consumption. Public use files that have been screened to protect the identity of the individual respondents are also available electronically. Selected data from the surveys are also published in the Monthly Energy Review and the Annual Energy Review.

II. Current Actions

This will be a proposed revision and three-year clearance request to OMB. The request in the expiration data will extend the EIA-871A/F to May 31, 2002. Other anticipated changes for the 1999 CBECS include: • Collecting the data by telephone (rather than in a personal interview) using CATI techniques; • Collecting the energy consumption and expenditures data (Form EIA-871C-F) at the building level rather than from the energy suppliers; • Resampling from the 1995 CBECS sample; • Excluding buildings from the sample that are 10,000 square feet and less in size and that were constructed after 1995; • Eliminating some building characteristics questions (Form EIA-871A) that are of a lower priority to CBECS data users, are no longer relevant, or that had a high item nonresponse in previous surveys; • Reformatting the Building Characteristic Questionnaire (Form EIA-871A) so that fewer respondents are asked all questions.

III. Request for Comments

Prospective respondents and other interested parties are invited to comment on the actions discussed in item II. The following guidelines are provided to assist in the preparation of comments.

General Issues

A. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency and does the information have practical utility? Practical utility is defined as 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 be made 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 information be submitted by the due date?

C. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to average approximately 45 minutes per interview (Form EIA-871A) and about 30 minutes per energy supplier response in those cases where the data must be collected from the energy suppliers (Forms EIA-871C-F). The estimated burden includes the total time, effort or financial resources expended to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or provide the information. Please comment on (1) the accuracy of the agency's estimate, and (2) how the agency could minimize the burden of collecting this information, including the use of information technology. D. The agency estimates respondents will incur no additional costs for reporting other than the hours required to complete the collection. What is the estimated: (1) total dollar amount annualized for capital and start-up costs, and (2) recurring annual costs of operation and maintenance, and purchase of services associated with this data collection? E. Does any other Federal, State or local agency collect similar information? If so, specify the agency, the data element(s), and the methods of collection.

As a Potential User

A. Is the information useful at the levels of detail indicated on the form? B. For what purpose(s) would the information be used? Be specific. C. Are there alternate sources for the information and are they useful? If so, what are their deficiencies and/or strengths? 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 Authority: Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. No. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).

Issued in Washington, D.C. February 5, 1999. Jay H. Casselberry, Agency Clearance Officer, Statistics and Methods Group, Energy Information Administration. [FR Doc. 99-3401 Filed 2-10-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P