EIA Invites Comments on Safeguarding Confidential Energy Data
Published Date: 12/18/2025
Notice
Summary
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) wants your thoughts on a new way to collect info that keeps private data super safe. This affects anyone who might request access to confidential energy data, and the EIA is asking for comments by February 17, 2026. The goal? Stronger data security with no extra costs or delays, just smarter rules to protect your info.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 4 costs, 0 mixed.
Onsite Access Requires DAA, Training, NDA
To access confidential data onsite at EIA headquarters in Washington, DC, your employing institution must sign a Data Access Agreement (DAA) with EIA, and each team member must complete EIA's CIPSEA training and sign a Non-disclosure Agreement that affirms U.S. citizenship and a commitment not to disclose confidential data.
SAP Portal Will Streamline Multi-Agency Requests
The SAP Portal is a single web-based common application (not a data repository) that lets applicants search a data catalog and submit a single application to request confidential data from multiple Federal statistical agencies and units. The Portal is intended to reduce redundancies and applicant burden when requesting data from more than one agency.
Detailed SAP Portal Application Steps
If you want access to confidential EIA data, you must create an account in the SAP Portal and enter personal, contact, and institutional information for yourself and all team members. You must also provide detailed project information (project title, duration, funding, abstract, methodology, and why public data won’t work) and identify the data assets you request.
Agencies Collect Extra Security Info Outside Portal
After the SAP Portal issues a positive determination, EIA (and other data-owning agencies) will collect additional information outside the Portal to meet their data security requirements. Those additional security steps may include a background check and must be completed before access is granted.
Estimated Annual Burden and Time
EIA estimates 20 annual respondents and 20 total annual responses, with 100 annual burden hours. EIA estimates the average time to complete and submit EIA's data security agreements is 100 minutes (5 hours) per applicant.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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