[Federal Register: December 29, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 249)]
[Notices]               
[Page 73024-73025]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29de99-69]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration

 
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Energy Information Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Agency information collection activities: Proposed collection; 
comment request.

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SUMMARY: The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is soliciting 
comments on the proposed three-year extension of existing Form DOE-887, 
``Department of Energy Customer Surveys.''

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before February 28, 
2000. If you anticipate difficulty in submitting comments within that 
period, contact the person listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Herbert T. Miller, Statistics and Methods 
Group, EI-70, Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of Energy, 
Washington, D.C. 20585. Alternatively, Mr. Miller may be reached by 
phone at 202-426-1103, by e-mail at hmiller@eia.doe.gov, or by FAX 202-
426-1081.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Herbert Miller at the address listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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

I. Background

    The Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. No. 93-275, 
15 U.S.C. 761 et seq.) and the Department of Energy Organization Act 
(Pub. L. No. 95-91, 42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), require 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.
    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) of the collections under Section 3507(h) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995.
    On September 11, 1993, the President signed Executive Order No. 
12862 aimed at ``* * * ensuring the Federal government provides the 
highest quality service possible to the American people.'' The 
voluntary surveys the Department proposes will be used to ascertain 
customer satisfaction with the Department of Energy in terms of 
services, products, and information our customers want and expect, as 
well as their satisfaction with and awareness of existing products, 
services, and information. Respondents will be businesses, academic 
institutions, associations, researchers, and other individuals, 
organizations, or institutions that are the recipients of the 
Department's services, products, and information. Previous customer 
surveys have provided useful information to the Department for 
assessing how well services, products, and information are delivered 
and for making improvements. The results are used internally and 
summaries are provided to the Office of Management and Budget on an 
annual basis, and are used to satisfy the requirements and the spirit 
of Executive Order No. 12862.

II. Current Actions

    The request to OMB will be for a three-year extension of the 
expiration date of approval for DOE to conduct customer surveys. During 
the past approval period of about three years, 14 customer surveys have 
been conducted by telephone, mail, and through the Web site. (Examples 
of previously conducted customer surveys are available upon request.) 
Our planned activities in the next three fiscal years reflect our 
increased emphasis on and expansion of these activities, including an 
increased use of electronic means for obtaining customer input. Surveys 
may be conducted by focus groups, reply cards that accompany product 
distribution, web-based surveys that offer customers the opportunity to 
express their levels of satisfaction with DOE products, services, and 
information, and for on-going dialogue with the Department. DOE will 
collect this information by electronic means, as well as by mail, fax, 
telephone, and person-to-person. Steps will be taken to assure 
anonymity of respondents in each activity covered under this request.

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.

General Issues

    A. Are the proposed collections 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. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to 
average .25 hours per response (8,333 respondents per year  x  15 
minutes per response = 2,083 hours annually). The response time varies 
from two minutes to four hours depending upon the complexity of the 
information collection. The estimated burden includes the total time, 
effort, or financial resources expended to generate, maintain, retain, 
disclose and provide the information. Please comment on the accuracy of 
the estimate.
    B. The agency estimates that the only costs to the respondents are 
for the time it will take them to complete the collection of 
information. Please comment if respondents will incur start-up costs 
for reporting, or any recurring annual costs for operation, 
maintenance, and purchase of services associated with this information 
collection?
    C. What additional actions could be taken to minimize the burden of 
this collection of information? Such actions my involve the use of 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    D. 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:

[[Page 73025]]

    A. 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 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., December 22, 1999.
Jay H. Casselberry,
Agency Clearance Officer, Statistics and Methods Group, Energy 
Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 99-33822 Filed 12-28-99; 8:45 am]
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