CIPSEA Data
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is a principal statistical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. As a federally recognized statistical agency, we protect the confidentiality of the data we collect under the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2018 (CIPSEA), Title III of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Public Law No. 115-435, codified in 44 U.S.C. Ch. 35). CIPSEA-protected data must be kept strictly confidential and used exclusively for statistical purposes. We do not disclose CIPSEA-protected data in identifiable form to anyone except EIA employees, approved EIA agents with a need to know, Congress, and staff of other federal agencies. To gain access to CIPSEA data, researchers must be authorized by law to receive such information, trained in data confidentiality procedures, and be sworn to protect the information from disclosure to any unauthorized party. Penalties for disclosing identifiable CIPSEA-protected data include fines of up to $250,000 and up to five years in prison.
Most information derived from data collected in CIPSEA-protected surveys can be shared publicly without compromising data confidentiality. For example, we only publish aggregate estimates when the reporting sample is large enough that no single respondent can be identified and all information is sufficiently protected. For EIA’s residential and commercial building consumption surveys, we also release public-use microdata files that include individual household and building information. We remove respondent identifiers and apply many disclosure-avoidance techniques to our public-use microdata to protect confidentiality.
Using CIPSEA data for evidence building
Researchers use CIPSEA data for a variety of purposes, including evidence building for public policy. In limited circumstances when the public-use microdata files are insufficient for statistical research, external researchers can apply to become temporary, unpaid EIA agents and access non-public microdata at our headquarters in Washington, DC. In addition to data sharing with other federal agencies, we participate in the Standard Application Process (SAP) to receive research applications and relay our decision to accept or reject an application. The federal statistical system developed the SAP to meet the requirements of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018.
To apply for access to confidential EIA data, you must visit the SAP Portal, select EIA’s consumption survey dataset from the SAP Data Catalog, and complete an electronic common application form. At this time, our confidential datasets may only be accessed onsite in the Forrestal Building in Washington, DC. You can find more information on how to apply for confidential EIA data access in our supplemental guidance. If we approve your application, you must pledge to protect the confidentiality of our data and only perform the research we approve.
CIPSEA reporting archive
We have used CIPSEA to protect the confidentiality and privacy of the data we collect since the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002, Title V of the E-Government Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-347) was passed into law. We have also released annual reports that identify which EIA surveys used CIPSEA to protect information and the number of persons designated as EIA agents.