National Energy Data Collection: Do’s and Don’ts UN City Group Oslo, Norway February 7, 2006

Goals for today’s presentation Who is EIA? – What kinds of data do we collect? – Who uses our data? – What are our key products? Share experience from EIA’s 29 years of energy data collection on the United States – What works well? – What does not work well? – What challenges do we face?

Who we are EIA was established by the Department of Energy Organization Act, 1977 – Independent since its foundation 369 federal employees and about 250 contractors $85 million budget (2006)

What data we collect EIA has about 80 surveys – Petroleum (about 30) – Natural gas (about 15) – Electric power (about 15) – Uranium (8) – Coal (7) – Renewables (3) – Consumption (3) – Green house gases (2) – Finance, alternative fuels (1 each)

Who uses our work? Government policy makers – Executive branch – Legislative branch International community Energy industry participants Public

What we produce Four main kinds of energy products: – Data – Analyses – Forecasts – Descriptive information about products

Good Practices for Statistical Agencies Do continually review data and analysis programs to assess coverage and relevancy Do conduct outreach with customers to obtain feedback on quality and timeliness of products Do keep current with the technology to both collect and disseminate data Do commit to transparency in terms of methods, documentation, and accuracy Do employ high quality statisticians, economists, survey experts

Good Practices for Survey Design Detailed understanding of what questions data need to address Minimizing respondent burden Using focus groups to decide what data to collect Conducting site visits; establish points of contact and develop rapport with responders Use professional statisticians and survey methodologists Pre-test questionnaires Automate where possible Commit to iterative process that allows for constant improvement

A survey success story In , the U.S. Government wanted a snapshot of nationwide gasoline and diesel prices, as close to real-time as possible With clear goal, EIA pondered how to get at this information Result: same day information, within 1% accuracy, at one of the lowest costs of any survey conducted by EIA, now 15+ years running

Responses Good response rates require lots of follow up – Follow up takes 2-3 times as much time and effort as the original survey – This is why you made those personal contacts Decide what level of accuracy you require – Ask whether the non-responders would change the results of your survey If response is not mandatory, is there something you can give back to participants?

Current challenges Maintaining industry coverage Keeping pace with rapid industry change Addressing recruitment as current work force retires Increasing concerns about confidentiality and response burden

Contact information Tara Billingsley National Energy Information Center