EIA Proposes Major Reporting Changes, Cuts Solar Panel Tracking
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has proposed significant changes to its reporting schedule. It aims to cancel the monthly solar power shipment tracking report, citing a disproportionate burden compared to its value. Meanwhile, it seeks a three-year extension for certain electric power surveys.
The EIA-63B report, tracking photovoltaic module shipments, accounted for a mere 0.2% of the agency's estimated program costs in 2022. Despite this, it required around 10 staff hours per week, contributing to approximately 251,092 burden hours annually. This is alongside communicating with about 29,989 respondents across 10 surveys, costing around $23.85 million annually.
The EIA proposes to discontinue the EIA-63B report, as the data collection burden outweighs its value. The agency seeks to redirect resources towards other priorities, such as extending the Electric Power Surveys (EPS) for three years. This includes the EIA-860M and Electric Power Monthly surveys.
The EIA's proposal to cancel the solar power shipment report and extend electric power surveys is open for public comment until October 27, 2025. The agency aims to balance its workload and resources more effectively, with the changes expected to impact a small percentage of its overall operations.
