Distributed generators may be required to register their emissions with several different government agencies. Requirements vary based upon the pollutant and/or the generator's nameplate capacity. Significant reporting requirements are listed here.

EIA Reporting Requirements

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) of the DOE is required to publish, and otherwise make available to the public, high-quality statistical data that reflect national electric supply and demand activity as accurately as possible. To meet this obligation, as well as internal DOE requirements for accurate data, the Electric Power Division of the EIA has developed statistical surveys that encompass each significant electric supply and demand activity in the United States. This section provides a list of relevant EIA electric power survey forms for distributed generation. Below is a listing of each survey and a brief description of the pertinent information collected. Click on the name of any survey for reporting forms.

Monthly Surveys

EIA-423 Monthly Cost and Quality of Fuels for Electric Plants Report

 Completed monthly by owners/operators of electric generating facilities or industrial CHP facilities with a capacity >= 50 MW

 Contains general generator and plant information, as well as information on coal mines, fuel suppliers, fuel quality, and purchase price (cost, quantity, and quality data)

EIA-826 Monthly Electric Sales and Revenue w/ State Distributions Report

 Completed monthly by electric utilities, energy service providers, and distribution companies that sell or distribute electric power to end users

 Reports on retail sales, revenue, MWh, and number of customers for residential, commercial, and industrial rate classes, as well as state totals (sales and revenue)

EIA-906 Power Plant Report

 Information collected monthly from all regulated and unregulated electric power plants and CHP facilities

 Information includes electric power generation, fuel consumption, fuel heat content, fossil fuel stocks and useful thermal output. Electric plants and CHP facilities not selected to respond monthly must file annually (generation, fuel, stocks)

Annual Surveys

EIA-412 Annual Electric Industry Financial Report

 Plant statistics section only to be filled out annually by unregulated generation plants with a capacity > 10 MW. Other sections filled out by municipalities, political subdivisions, and state or federal entities

 Reports the type of plant, year constructed, hours of operation, net peak demand, capacity, cost per kW, gross expenditures, and varied production expenditures

EIA-767 Steam-Electric Plant Operation and Design Report

 Collects information annually from plants with an existing or planned organic-fueled or combustible renewable steam-electric plant that has a generator nameplate rating of 10 megawatts or larger

 Covers basic plant information (location, type, etc), plant configuration, byproduct disposition and thermal output, boiler, generator and cooling system info, flue gas emissions (operations and design)

EIA-860 Annual Electric Generator Report

 Completed annually by all generating plants >= 1 MW, and either are currently operating or plan to be operational within the next five years

 Contains basic information about the generator type, location, capacity, fuel, CHP/DG, dates, etc. (power plant site and generator information)

EIA-861 Annual Electric Power Industry Report

 Completed annually by electric utilities, wholesale power marketers registered with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, energy service providers registered with the states, and electric power producers

 Contains general information on the plants, information on energy sources and disposition, customer service programs, electric operating revenue, retail sales, and demand-side management information (sales and revenue, demand-side management)

NOx Budget Trading Program

Starting May 31, 2004, 19 states will participate in an EPA-sponsored program to trade NOx emission allowances. Each state was responsible for devising their own EPA-approved State Implementation Plan (SIP). In general, the NOx emission limitations and allowance allocations are only applicable to electrical generating units greater than 25 MW. Thus, most applications of distributed generation will not need to comply with this program.

SO2 Acid Rain Program

New units under 25 MW that use fuel with a sulfur content greater than 0.05 percent by weight are required to measure and report emissions under the Acid Rain program, but are not subject to the trading program.