Formatting Reports & Writing Style
For Consultants to the California Energy Commission
This page is sent up to assist contractors and consultants to the California Energy Commission in preparing "consultant reports."
The second edition of our style manual for consultant reports, which explains our required report format, is now available from this page. Reports that were written prior to March 1, 2010, should follow the first edition (2008) of the style manual. Reports written and submitted to the Energy Commission after March 1, 2010, should follow this second edition. See section below for information about the major changes in the second edition.
If you have additional questions regarding the report format, please contact your contract manager at the Energy Commission or the Commission's Media and Public Communications Office:
Media and Public Communications Office
California Energy Commission
1516 Ninth Street, MS-29
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-654-4989
E-mail: mediaoffice@energy.state.ca.us
Please Note: Consultants and contractors should not contact the news media or do any public relations regarding the results and conclusions of their investigations, or about their reports or documents. Please contact Assistant Executive Director at 916-654-4989.
Download Style Manual and Templates for Consultant Reports
Style Manual (Second Edition) for Preparing Contract and Consultant Reports for the California Energy Commission
Publication # CEC-180-2010-002. Published February 2010.
(PDF file, 75 pages, 588 kilobytes)
Document Template for Consultant Reports (Posted: 2/24/2010, MS Word, 264 kb)
Report Cover and Credits Page Template for Consultant Reports (Posted: 2/24/2010, MS Word, 2 pages, 32 kilobytes)
Use the ARFVTP Final Report Template for Final Project Reports for the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program. (Posted 02/08/2013, MS Word, 2.1 MB)
Major Updates Since Last Edition
There have been some major and minor changes throughout the style manual for consultant reports, correcting errors and mistakes. The following are the main updates that have changed since the last edition.
- Cover is redesigned to be a more modern, professional look.
- Credits page moved to inside of the front cover, and no blank pages are used are used after the cover and credits pages.
- Citation information moved to bottom of the abstract and keywords page.
- Headings and subheadings have decreased in point size from previous edition. See Table 1 for full listing of font and sizes to be used throughout all reports.
- The Commission has changed the requirement that blank pages need to be inserted at the end of chapters or after certain parts (acknowledgments, preface, abstract). This change will reduce the amount paper being used in reports. Blank pages, however, still should be inserted after the following pages so that the next section begins on the right-hand side.
- The credits page is now the backside of the cover. Blank pages are no longer added following the cover or credits page.
- Blank pages are not used at the end of chapters so that next chapter begins on the right side.
- Blank pages are not used following single-page acknowledgements page.
- Blank pages are not used following table of contents, list of figures, and list of tables.
- Blank pages are not used following executive summary (if used).
- Insert a blank page so that Executive Summary and Chapter 1 always begin on the right-hand side.
- Additional items have been added to the "Word Use and Misuse" section, Chapter 7.
- The steps in the review process have been refined and clarified.