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[Federal Register: April 7, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 66)]
[Notices]               
[Page 17702-17703]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07ap10-38]                         


[[Page 17702]]

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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 revision and 
three-year extension to the following EIA Forms:
     EIA-63A, ``Annual Solar Thermal Collector/Reflector 
Shipments Report.''
     EIA-63B, ``Annual Photovoltaic Cell/Module Shipments 
Report.''
     EIA-902, ``Annual Geothermal Heat Pump Shipments Report.''

DATES: Comments must be filed by June 7, 2010. If you anticipate 
difficulty in submitting comments within that period, contact the 
person listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Fred Mayes. To ensure receipt of the 
comments by the due date, submission by FAX 202-287-1944 or e-mail 
fred.mayes@eia.doe.gov is recommended. The mailing address is U.S. 
Energy Information Administration, EI-52, Forrestal Building, U.S. 
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 
20585. Alternatively, Fred Mayes may be contacted by telephone at 202-
586-1508.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of any forms and instructions (the proposed draft collection) 
should be directed to Fred Mayes at the address listed above. Also see 
the forms and instructions at http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/fed_register/renewable_2011.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 the DOE Organization Act (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 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.
    Form EIA-63A, ``Annual Solar Thermal Collector/Reflector Shipments 
Report,'' collects information on the distribution of solar thermal 
panels by manufacturers; Form EIA-63B, ``Annual Photovoltaic Cell/
Module Shipments Report,'' collects information on the distribution by 
manufacturers of photovoltaic (PV) cells/modules; and Form EIA-902, 
``Annual Geothermal Heat Pump Shipments Report,'' collects information 
on distribution of geothermal heat pumps by manufacturers. 
Specifically, all forms collect information on manufacturing, stocks, 
imports, exports, and domestic shipments. The EIA has been collecting 
the above information annually and proposes to continue the surveys. 
The data collected will be disseminated in electronic products and 
electronic data files for use by government and private sector 
analysts. For details on EIA's renewables information program, please 
visit the renewable and alterative fuels page at EIA's Web site at 
http://www.eia.doe.gov/fuelrenewable.html.
    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 (including possible 
nonstatistical uses) of the information. For instructions on obtaining 
materials, see the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.

II. Current Actions

    The following actions are being taken for the EIA 63A, EIA-63B, and 
EIA-902:
     The forms now request the ``total equipment balance'' 
(inventories, production, shipments, imports, exports, stocks), rather 
than just shipments, imports, and exports.
     End uses are revised as appropriate for each survey but 
were compressed into fewer categories where possible.
     The number of units and/or number of systems shipped, as 
appropriate, is now requested.
     Shipments are now obtained by state for each sector, end 
use. Previously, data did not cross-classify shipments by state by 
sector or shipments by state by end use.
     The eligible list of survey respondents is now expanded to 
cover importer/exporter-only companies, domestic subsidiaries of 
overseas manufacturers, and companies registered on a U.S. stock 
exchange. This will greatly improve coverage of equipment that is 
imported directly into the U.S. to an end user.
    Changes related to Form EIA-902 only:
     The American Refrigeration Institute (ARI)/International 
Standards Organization (ISO) GHP classifications are replaced by 
functional names of greater interest and usage by manufacturers.
    Changes related to Forms EIA-63A and EIA-63B only:
     The ``Other'' collector type was eliminated because too 
many respondents chose it when a better choice was available.
    Changes related to Form EIA-63B only:
     The form now has separate schedules for collecting cells 
and modules data. Data collected for cells and modules will be slightly 
different.

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. Please indicate to 
which form(s) your comments apply.

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 4.5 burden hours per response for Form EIA-63A, 4.5 burden 
hours per response for Form EIA-63B and 4.5 burden hours per response 
for Form EIA-902. The

[[Page 17703]]

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?
    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, April 1, 2010.
Stephanie Brown,
Director, Statistics and Methods Group, Energy Information 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010-7861 Filed 4-6-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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