EIA Proposes Cancelling Solar Panel Report, Extending Power Surveys
The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration (EIA) has proposed significant changes to its reporting. It aims to cancel the monthly solar panel shipment report, citing low response rates and high costs. The agency also seeks a three-year extension for its Electric Power Surveys.
The EIA-63B, Photovoltaic Module Shipments Report, is set to be discontinued. Despite representing a fraction of the EPS program cost, with only 57 respondents out of 21,488 total, the EIA believes the data's value no longer justifies the burden of collection and publication. The proposed cancellation was announced in a Federal Register filing, allowing public comments until October 27, 2025.
The EIA also seeks a three-year extension for its Electric Power Surveys, including the EIA-860M and Electric Power Monthly surveys. This extension aims to align with the agency's broader data collection and analysis strategies. The EIA communicates with approximately 29,989 respondents annually, requiring about 251,092 burden hours and costing approximately $23.85 million annually.
The proposed cancellations and extension are part of the EIA's ongoing efforts to optimize its data collection processes. The agency will consider public comments before making final decisions.
