Early Steps toward a National Energy Information System

The Energy Information Administration, which is the statistical arm of the Department of Energy, inherited many data-collection forms, files, and publications from predecessor agencies.There is a legislative mandate to establish a National Energy Information System (NEIS).This obligation demands attention to certain issues: (a) scope of NEIS, (b) methods of collection, (c) methods of storing information, (d) classification and indexing, (e) methods of access, and (f) reporting and publication.Early stages of dealing with most of these matters are underway.