2024-20088. Agency Information Collection Proposed Extension

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Department of Energy

Energy Information Administration

AGENCY:

U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

EIA submitted an information collection request for extension as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The information collection requests a three-year extension of its Form EIA-63C, Densified Biomass Fuel Report, OMB Control Number 1905-0209. The report is part of EIA's comprehensive energy data program. Form EIA-63C collects monthly data on the manufacture, shipment, exports, energy characteristics, and sales of densified biomass fuels and other densified biomass fuel products from facilities that manufacture densified biomass fuel products (pellet fuels), for energy applications.

DATES:

Comments on this information collection must be received no later than October 7, 2024. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kenneth Pick, EIA Clearance Officer, at [phone]. The form and instructions are available at https://www.eia.gov/​survey/​#eia-63c.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This information collection request contains:

(1) OMB Control Number: 1905-0209;

(2) Information Collection Request Title: Densified Biomass Fuel Report;

(3) Type of Request: Three-year extension with change;

(4) Purpose: Form EIA-63C is part of EIA's comprehensive energy data program. The survey collects information on the manufacture, shipment, exports, energy characteristics, and sales of pellet fuels and other densified biomass fuel products data from facilities that manufacture densified biomass fuel products, primarily pellet fuels, for energy applications. The data collected on Form EIA-63C are a primary source of information for the nation's growing production of biomass products for heating and electric power generation, and for use in both domestic and foreign markets.

(4a) Proposed Change to Information Collection: There is a reduction in the number of survey respondents required to file EIA-63C reports. This reduces the annual estimated responses and associated burden hours. There is one change to the instructions for the EIA-63C: the term “heating fuel” was added to clarify the reporting requirements and reduce out of scope reporting.

(5) Annual Estimated Number of Respondents: 93;

(6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 929;

(7) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 1,282;

(8) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: The cost of the burden hours is estimated to be $116,868 (1,282 burden hours times $91.16 per hour). EIA estimates that there are no additional costs to respondents associated with the survey other than the costs associated with the burden hours.

Statutory Authority:15 U.S.C. 772(b) and 42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.

( print page 72834)

Signed in Washington, DC, on August 29, 2024.

Samson A. Adeshiyan,

Director, Office of Statistical Methods and Research, U.S. Energy Information Administration.