Notice2023-00611
Agency Information Collection Extension
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 13, 2023
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentEnergy Information Administration
Abstract
EIA is proposing revisions and requesting a three-year extension of the Coal Markets Reporting System as required under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The Coal Markets Reporting System (CMRS) consists of 5 surveys including, Form EIA-3 Quarterly Survey of Non-Electric Sector Coal Data, Form EIA-7A Annual Survey of Coal Production and Preparation, Form EIA-8A Annual Survey of Coal Stocks and Coal Exports, Form EIA-6 Emergency Coal Supply Survey (Standby), and Form EIA-20 Emergency Weekly Coal Monitoring Survey for Coal Burning Power Producers (Standby.) The CMRS collects data on U.S. coal production, quality, consumption, receipts, stocks, and prices. EIA proposes to make changes to instructions to Forms EIA-3, EIA-7A, and EIA-8A and requests an extension to Forms EIA-6 and EIA-20 with no changes. The changes to Forms EIA-3, EIA-7A, and EIA-8A will reduce the burden of this collection while maintaining the utility and integrity of the data.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 9 (Friday, January 13, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 9 (Friday, January 13, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2349-2350]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-00611]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
U.S. Energy Information Administration
Agency Information Collection Extension
AGENCY: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Department of
Energy (DOE).
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: EIA is proposing revisions and requesting a three-year
extension of the Coal Markets Reporting System as required under the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The Coal Markets Reporting System
(CMRS) consists of 5 surveys including, Form EIA-3 Quarterly Survey of
Non-Electric Sector Coal Data, Form EIA-7A Annual Survey of Coal
Production and Preparation, Form EIA-8A Annual Survey of Coal Stocks
and Coal Exports, Form EIA-6 Emergency Coal Supply Survey (Standby),
and Form EIA-20 Emergency Weekly Coal Monitoring Survey for Coal
Burning Power Producers (Standby.) The CMRS collects data on U.S. coal
production, quality, consumption, receipts, stocks, and prices. EIA
proposes to make changes to instructions to Forms EIA-3, EIA-7A, and
EIA-8A and requests an extension to Forms EIA-6 and EIA-20 with no
changes. The changes to Forms EIA-3, EIA-7A, and EIA-8A will reduce the
burden of this collection while maintaining the utility and integrity
of the data.
DATES: EIA must receive all comments on this proposed information
collection no later than March 14, 2023. 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: Send your comments to Rosalyn Berry electronically at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#85e6eae4e9b7b5b7b6c5e0ece4abe2eaf3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f89b979994cac8cacbb89d9199d69f978e">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rosalyn Berry, (202) 586-1026 email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bbd8d4dad7898b8988fbded2da95dcd4cd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="99faf6f8f5aba9abaad9fcf0f8b7fef6ef">[email protected]</span></a>. The forms and instructions are available on EIA's
website at <a href="https://www.eia.gov/survey/changes/coal/2023/">https://www.eia.gov/survey/changes/coal/2023/</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This information collection request
contains:
(1) OMB Control Number: 1905-0167;
(2) Information Collection Request Title: Coal Markets Reporting
System;
(3) Type of Request: Three-year extension with changes;
(4) Purpose: The Coal Markets Reporting System (CMRS) program
collects, evaluates, assembles, analyzes, and disseminates information
on coal production, sales, technology, reserves, and related economic
and statistical information. This information is used to assess the
adequacy of coal and other 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.
Form EIA-3 collects quarterly data on the use of coal at U.S.
manufacturing plants, coal transformation/processing plants, coke
plants, and commercial and institutional users of coal. Form EIA-7A
collects coal production operations, characteristics of coalbeds mined,
recoverable reserves, production capacity, coal sales and revenue,
stocks held at mines, and the disposition of the coal mined. For coal
preparation, information collected includes operations, locations,
production capacity, disposition, and volume of coal prepared. Form
EIA-8A collects data on coal stocks by state location, exported coal by
origin state, and export revenue of coal sold during the reporting
year.
Form EIA-6 Emergency Coal Supply Survey and Form EIA-20 Emergency
Weekly Coal Monitoring Survey for Coal Burning Power Producers are
standby surveys used during periods of coal supply and transportation
disruptions. In the event of a supply or transportation disruption,
these two standby surveys activate and operate
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weekly over a ten-week period. Once activated, Form EIA-6 collects
weekly coal production and stocks data from U.S. coal mining companies.
Data are aggregated and reported at the state level. During disruptive
events, Form EIA-20 collects available coal-fired capacity, generation,
consumption, and stocks from coal-fired electric power generators.
The CMRS also collects coal market data. The data elements include
production, consumption, receipts, stocks, sales, and prices.
Information pertaining to the quality of the coal is also collected,
including heat content, ash content, sulfur content and contents of
mercury. Aggregates of this collection are used to support analysis on
the effects of public policy on the coal industry, economic modeling,
forecasting, coal supply and demand studies, and in guiding research
and development programs. The data are included in EIA publications,
such as the Monthly Energy Review, Quarterly Coal Report, Quarterly
Coal Distribution Report, Annual Coal Report, and Annual Coal
Distribution Report.
EIA also uses the data in short-term and long-term forecast models
such as the Short-Term Integrated Forecasting System (STIFS) and the
National Energy Modeling System (NEMS) Coal Market Module. The forecast
data also appear in the Short-Term Energy Outlook and the Annual Energy
Outlook publications.
(4a) Proposed Changes: EIA will be requesting a three-year
extension of approval for all its coal surveys with the following
changes:
Form EIA-3: Quarterly Survey of Industrial, Commercial, & Institutional
Coal Users
<bullet> Revise the instructions to indicate only active users of
coal need report. Currently, respondents are required to report if
they've consumed more than 1,000 short tons in the past year.
Respondents who switch from coal to gas are still required to file the
EIA-3 for up to almost a year after they stop consuming coal. The
proposed change will make it easier for respondents who permanently
stop consuming coal to be removed from the survey frame, thereby
reducing the reporting burden of this collection.
Form EIA-7A: Annual Survey of Coal Production and Preparation
<bullet> Revise the instructions to indicate all coal mining
companies that owned a mining operation which produced 50,000 or more
short tons of coal during the reporting year must submit the Form EIA-
7A, except for anthracite mines. The current threshold for anthracite
mines of 10,000 short tons would remain the same. The proposed change
in reporting threshold from 25,000 to 50,000 short tons will reduce the
reporting burden of this collection while maintaining the utility and
integrity of the data.
<bullet> Revise the instructions to remove the notes for Part 3
Question 10 advising respondents how to convert longitude and latitude,
referencing an external document on EIA's website. These instructions
are outdated and unnecessary.
Form EIA-8A: Annual Survey of Coal Stocks and Coal Exports
<bullet> Add an instruction to Part 2, Question 1 and Part 3
Question 1 to exclude stocks and exports already reported on the Form
EIA-7A. Some respondents file both Forms EIA-7A and EIA-8A, especially
companies with parent companies. The proposed change will avoid
duplication of data collection, thereby reducing the reporting burden
on Form EIA-8A respondents.
(5) Estimated Number of Survey Respondents: 833.
<bullet> Form EIA-3 will consist of 290 respondents;
<bullet> Form EIA-7A will consist of 480 respondents;
<bullet> Form EIA-8A will consist of 44 respondents;
<bullet> Form EIA-6 (standby) will consist of 10 respondents;
<bullet> Form EIA-20 (standby) will consist of 9 respondents.
(6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 1,830.
(7) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 3,149.
(8) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden:
$262,564 (3,149 burden hours times $83.38 per hour). EIA estimates that
there are no additional costs to respondents associated with the
surveys other than the costs associated with the burden hours since the
information is maintained during normal course of business.
Comments are invited on 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 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.
Statutory Authority: 15 U.S.C. 772(b) and 42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.
Signed in Washington, DC, on January 10th, 2023.
Samson A. Adeshiyan,
Director, Office of Statistical Methods and Research, U.S. Energy
Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-00611 Filed 1-12-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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