Protocol_Balancing Authority_07142022

OMB Control Number: 1905-0186

Expiration Date: 9/30/2025

OES-2 Exploratory Interviews - Balancing Authorities Interview Guide

Introduction

Thank you for agreeing to meet with us today. Before we get started, let me give you a little background on this project.

In the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Energy Information Administration was tasked with measuring carbon emissions from Load-Serving Entities (LSEs). To achieve this, EIA is exploring the feasibility of collecting the delivered generation resource mix from LSEs as a proxy measure of carbon emissions. In addition, we are exploring whether Balancing Authorities can track electricity generation, purchases and sales by fuel source the feasibility of reporting this information annually, monthly or hourly.

Your responses will be protected as confidential information. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1905-0186. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 60 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

[Introduce observers]. Do you have any questions before we get started?

Questions

1. Can you briefly describe your job title and function? Are you the person who normally responds to EIA surveys? When you respond to our surveys do you normally complete the survey by yourself or with the help of others? [if someone else is involved] what is that person’s role in your organization? Do you need to receive approval before submitting your responses to EIA? Can you tell me more about this?

2. Can you tell me a little about your company and its role as a Balancing Authority?

3. Do you track the fuel source/resource used to generate electricity for all wholesale purchases and sales of electricity in your region? Do you capture any of this information? Please explain.

4. Can you describe how this information is tracked in records? What is the unit of measurement (e.g., MWh?) Is it tracked annually, monthly, hourly, etc.? How accurate is this information at each interval? Is this information stored in a one database or is it stored in multiple databases? Can you tell me more about that?

5. Can you describe how you as the person responding to the survey would go about accessing this information? What steps would you need to take to report this information to EIA? Do you have access or would you need to the assistance of another person? [if someone else] what is that person’s title and what is their function in your organization? Does this individual normally respond to EIA surveys? Would this be an easy or difficult data request? Please explain.

6. [If not tracked] In order to report the fuel type/resource used to generate electricity and the amount used, what steps would need to be taken? Could you provide an estimate of the type and amount of fuel/resources used to generate electricity? How would you go about constructing that estimate? Would you provide that estimate or would someone else in your organization? [if someone else] what is that person’s title and what is their function in your organization? Does this individual normally respond to EIA surveys? Would this be an easy or difficult data request? Please explain.

7. Do you have any concerns about sharing this information with EIA?

8. Would you need to get permission to release this kind of information to EIA?