Analysis Activities

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) makes analyses to help government, industry, and the public understand the direction and trends implied by current events and decisions. Most of EIA's analyses focus on energy supply, demand, and prices and on related economic and environmental issues. Analyses and forecasts are often closely related. Many of EIA's analyses use EIA short-term or midterm forecasting capabilities. Analyses are disseminated on the Internet and in hard-copy reports. The analyses may vary in length from a few pages to hundreds of pages. About thirty to forty analysis reports and articles are prepared each year. Some examples of analysis topics in recent years include an assessment of changes following the 1973 oil embargo, the restructuring of the electricity industry and the natural gas industry, changes in stock behavior in the oil industry, changes in greenhouse gas emissions, and other topical issues. At the time of release, EIA analyses are announced at the What's New page on EIA's Web site at http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/whatsnew/newwhatsnew.cfm. The selection of relevant and timely analyses is very important. EIA's Analysis Review Board sponsors annual customer meetings to solicit analysis recommendations from other government agencies and the private sector. Many recommendations are generated internally by EIA staff. Other ideas may come from EIA's Environmental Issues Forum -- an internal working group that focuses on environmental issues. Inputs from these sources are used by EIA's Analysis Review Board to identify an organized set of annual themes for analysis. These themes include: Changes in the electric power industry Energy-economic impacts of environmental quality goals Oil and other energy supply, consumption, and price developments Impacts of technological change on future energy markets .......and so forth. Ideas for analyses are welcomed by EIA. Suggestions can be provided through the EIA home page at http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/feedback/feedM1x.asp.

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