MECS Escalation Letter

U NITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. Census Bureau

Washington, DC 20233-0001

Month XX, 2018 OMB Approval No. 1905-0169

Dear Manufacturing CEO/CFO/Plant Manager,

At this time, your company has not yet completed the 2018 Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS). We now ask that you access the link below, complete the survey, and return your report by MM DD, YYYY. If you have completed and submitted your questionnaire, please disregard this letter and accept our gratitude for participating in this important survey.

At EIA and the Census Bureau, we take our responsibility to provide the country with critical energy data very seriously. Therefore, we are compelled to remind you that your participation is mandatory under 15 U.S.C. §772. EIA is required to conduct this survey pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §7135(i). Failure to respond may result in fines and other penalties under 15 U.S.C. §797.

The MECS is the Federal Government’s only systematic survey that gauges energy impacts on various parts of the manufacturing sector: it measures energy consumption and related manufacturing characteristics and behaviors; provides the manufacturing industry, policymakers, and the public with unbiased and accurate data; and evaluates manufacturing demands in the face of rising energy prices and national security concerns.

Your participation is essential to ensuring quality survey data. The MECS is a random, scientifically-drawn sample of manufacturers in the United States. Your plant represents other establishments of similar size and kind of business. Your response is required to ensure reliable and unbiased estimates of manufacturing energy consumption. Please note this survey is best completed by a Plant Manager or Operations Manager.

We estimate it will take approximately 9.2 hours to complete your survey, but may take less time if it’s completed on-line using the Census Bureau’s electronic reporting system, Centurion. If your company needs assistance completing the survey, please contact Mr. Leif Crider or another MECS analyst at 1-800-866-6327, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. To complete the survey on-line using the username and password above, go to http://www.census.gov/econhelp/mecs and click on “Survey Log in”.

General information about how MECS is used, the legal citations, and how we protect the confidentiality of data are available at http://bhs.econ.census.gov/BHS/MECS/index.html. Under 13 U.S.C. §9, your report to the Census Bureau is confidential. It may be seen only by sworn Census Bureau employees and your data may be used only for statistical purposes. The law also provides that copies retained in your files are immune from legal process.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this request. With your help, EIA and the Census Bureau can continue to provide the country with the most accurate and unbiased energy data and analysis.

Sincerely,

Nick Orsini Thomas Leckey

Chief, Economic Reimbursable Division Director, Office of Energy Consumption & Efficiency Statistics

U.S. Census Bureau U.S. Energy Information Administration