Alternative Fuel Data--Past and Future

• Activity Number: 245
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 13, 2002 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Government Statistics*
• Author(s): Mary Joyce*+
• Affiliation(s): U.S. Department of Energy
• Keywords: Energy Data ; Alternative Fuels ; Transportation Fuels ; Energy Surveys

Abstract

This paper describes the Energy Information Administration's (EIA's) data collection program for alternative transportation fuels and alternative fuel vehicles. The data effort began in response to the Energy Policy Act of 1992. It has been used to track developments in alternative fuels throughout the 1990s and into the new century. During that period, alternative fuel vehicles and the fuels they consume have undergone both technological and economic changes. This paper discusses EIA's current efforts to adapt its data program to these changes and to anticipated future developments.

The paper describes EIA surveys used to collect data from suppliers and selected users of alternative fuel vehicles. It also explains how EIA uses estimation methods to measure total use of alternative fuel vehicles and consumption of alternative fuels. It outlines some of the difficulties in collecting alternative fuel data. Finally, it tells about a recent EIA project designed to identify the future needs of its data users, and it presents EIA's proposed changes to the current data collection system.