About the Agency
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is the statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. In fulfilling its mission, EIA collects, processes, analyzes, and publishes energy data for the American people. The Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977 established EIA as the primary federal government authority on energy statistics and analysis, building upon systems and organizations first established in 1974 following the oil market disruption of 1973.
Depending on the survey, EIA either publishes data in identifiable form on its website or protects data because its release could cause competitive harm to energy firms or disclose sensitive financial or personal information. For about 9 in 10 EIA surveys, EIA protects at least some data under the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2018 or an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act. For the remaining EIA surveys, all reported information is considered public, and EIA releases it in identifiable form. To learn more about EIA’s products and programs, visit EIA’s website.
EIA uses protected survey data to compute and publish statistical aggregates and, for its residential and commercial building consumption surveys, to develop public-use microdata files. When EIA’s published data are insufficient for researchers’ statistical purposes, researchers may use the Standard Application Process portal to apply to access available nonpublic microdata at EIA’s headquarters in Washington, DC. To find out how to apply to access and use these nonpublic microdata, visit EIA’s website.