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[Federal Register: March 15, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 49)]
[Notices]               
[Page 12227-12229]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15mr10-42]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration

 
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Energy Information Administration (EIA), Department of Energy 
(DOE).

ACTION: Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request.

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SUMMARY: The EIA is soliciting comments on the proposed three-year 
extension to the Form EIA-846, ``Manufacturing Energy Consumption 
Survey.''

[[Page 12228]]


DATES: Comments must be filed by May 14, 2010. If you anticipate 
difficulty in submitting comments within that period, contact the 
person listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Tom Lorenz. To ensure receipt of the 
comments by the due date, submission by FAX (202-586-9753) or e-mail 
(Thomas.Lorenz@eia.doe.gov) is recommended. The mailing address is 
Office of Energy Markets and End Use, Energy Consumption Division, EI-
63, Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence 
Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20585. Alternatively, Mr. Lorenz may be 
contacted by telephone at 202-586-3442.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of any forms and instructions for the Manufacturing Energy 
Consumption Survey (MECS) should be directed to Tom Lorenz at the 
address listed above. To view the form online please go to: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/mecs/mecs2006/forms2006.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background
II. Current Actions
III. Request for Comments

I. Background

    The Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 761 et 
seq.) and (42 U.S.C. 7135(i)) 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 and to promote sound 
policymaking, efficient markets, and public understanding of energy and 
its interaction with the economy and the environment.
    The EIA, as part of its effort to comply with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.), 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. Also, the EIA will later seek approval for this collection by 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under section 3507(a) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
    The Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS) is a self-
administered sample survey designed to collect energy consumption and 
expenditures data from establishments in the manufacturing sector; 
i.e., North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes 31-
33. Previous MECS required multiple collection forms depending on an 
establishment's primary business activity classification under NAICS. 
The increased use of technology by means of an Internet data collection 
system however, has allowed the MECS to eliminate the need to have 
multiple forms.
    The 2010 MECS will collect information during 2011 for business 
activities in calendar year 2010. For the 2010 MECS, as in the past, 
EIA proposes to collect the following data from each MECS 
establishment: (1) For each energy source consumed--consumption (total, 
fuel and nonfuel uses) and the expenditures for each energy source, 
energy storage (as applicable), energy produced onsite, and shipments 
(as applicable); (2) energy end uses; (3) fuel-switching capabilities 
(4) general energy-saving technologies; (5) energy management 
activities; and (6) square footage, and number of buildings in the 
establishment.
    The MECS has been conducted seven times previously, covering the 
years 1985, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006. In all seven survey 
years, the MECS has collected baseline data on manufacturers' energy 
consumption and expenditures. The MECS collected data on fuel-switching 
capabilities in all years except 1998. In the 1991, 1994, 1998, 2002, 
and 2006 surveys, the MECS also collected data on end-uses, energy 
management activities, building square footage, and energy-saving 
technologies.
    The MECS information is the basis for data and analytic products 
that can be found at http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/mecs. Also on this Web 
site are past publications, articles, and a special analytic series, 
``Industry Analysis Briefs.'' The 2010 MECS will also be used to 
benchmark EIA's industry forecasting model and update changes in the 
energy intensity and greenhouse gases data series.
    The proposed 2010 MECS uses experience gained from the 
administration and processing of the seven previous surveys and past 
consultations with respondents, trade association representatives, and 
data users to improve the survey.
    Please refer to the proposed forms and instructions for more 
information about the purpose, who must report, when to report, where 
to submit, the elements to be reported, detailed instructions, 
provisions for confidentiality, and uses of the information. For 
instructions on obtaining materials, see the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section.

II. Current Actions

    EIA is requesting a three-year extension of approval to its 
Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey with no changes from the 
previous survey.

III. Request for Comments

    Prospective respondents and other interested parties should comment 
on the actions discussed in item II. The following guidelines are 
provided to assist in the preparation of comments.

As a Potential Respondent to the Request for Information

    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?
    B. What actions could be taken to help ensure and maximize the 
quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information to be 
collected?
    C. Are the instructions and definitions clear and sufficient? If 
not, which instructions need clarification?
    D. Can the information be submitted by the respondent by the due 
date?
    E. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to 
average eight hours per response for Form EIA-846. The estimated burden 
includes the total time necessary to provide the requested information. 
In your opinion, how accurate is this estimate?
    F. The agency estimates that the only cost to a respondent is for 
the time it will take to complete the collection. Will a respondent 
incur any start-up costs for reporting, or any recurring annual costs 
for operation, maintenance, and purchase of services associated with 
the information collection?
    G. What additional actions could be taken to minimize the burden of 
this collection of information? Such actions may involve the use of 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    H. 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 of the Information To Be Collected

    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?
    B. What actions could be taken to help ensure and maximize the 
quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information 
disseminated?

[[Page 12229]]

    C. Is the information useful at the levels of detail to be 
collected?
    D. For what purpose(s) would the information be used? Be specific.
    E. Are there alternate sources for the information and are they 
useful? If so, what are their weaknesses 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 13(b) of the Federal Energy 
Administration Act of 1974, Pub. L. 93-275, codified at 15 U.S.C. 
772(b).

    Issued in Washington, DC, March 9, 2010.
Renee H. Miller,
Director, Forms Clearance and Information Quality Division, Statistics 
and Methods Group, Energy Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010-5566 Filed 3-12-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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