The Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS) is the federal government’s comprehensive source of information on energy use by U.S. manufacturers. The survey collects data on energy consumption and expenditures, fuel-switching capability, onsite generation of electricity, byproduct energy use, and other energy-related topics. Previous MECS surveys were conducted every three years for the years 1985 through 1994 and then every four years from the years 1994 through 2022. EIA is currently accelerating MECS delivery from a quadrennial to an annual basis and at the appropriate time will update this methodology documentation.

The basic unit of data collection for this survey is the manufacturing establishment. A nationally representative sample of these establishments supplied the data through self-administered electronic questionnaires, although a subset of respondents supplied the data through conventional paper questionnaires. The U.S. Census Bureau, in consultation with the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), selected the MECS sample, conducted fieldwork, and processed the data.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration's website presents a summary of the design and implementation procedures for the survey, highlights differences between reporting periods, and describes the types of estimates included in MECS data tables and analysis.