15 U.S.C. § 790a — National Energy Information System; in-

Page 1248 TITLE 15—COMMERCE AND TRADE § 790a is specially qualified to manage an energy infor- mation system. (b) Delegation of authority by Administrator The Administrator shall delegate (which dele- gation may be on a nonexclusive basis as the Administrator may determine may be necessary to assure the faithful execution of his authori- ties and responsibilities under law) the author- ity vested in him under section 796 of this title and section 772 of this title and the Director may act in the name of the Administrator under section 797 of this title and section 772 of this title for the purpose of obtaining enforcement of the authorities delegated to him. (c) ‘‘Energy information’’ defined As used in this chapter the term ‘‘energy in- formation’’ shall have the meaning described in section 796 of this title. (Pub. L. 93–275, § 51, as added Pub. L. 94–385, title I, § 142, Aug. 14, 1976, 90 Stat. 1135.) Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE Pub. L. 94–385, title I, § 143, Aug. 14, 1976, 90 Stat. 1140, provided that: ‘‘The amendments made by this part C to the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 [en- acting this subchapter] shall take effect 150 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Aug. 14, 1976], except that section 56(c) of the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (as added by this part) [section 790e(c) of this title] shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act [Aug. 14, 1976].’’ TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS Federal Energy Administration terminated and func- tions vested by law in Administrator thereof trans- ferred to Secretary of Energy (unless otherwise specifi- cally provided) by sections 7151(a) and 7293 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. Functions assigned to Director of Office of Energy In- formation and Analysis under this subchapter vested in Administrator of Energy Information Administration within Department of Energy by section 7135(c) of Title 42. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND PURPOSE Pub. L. 94–385, title I, § 141, Aug. 14, 1976, 90 Stat. 1135, provided that: ‘‘(a) The Congress finds that the public interest re- quires that decisionmaking, with respect to this Na- tion’s energy requirements and the sufficiency and availability of energy resources and supplies, be based on adequate, accurate, comparable, coordinated, and credible energy information. ‘‘(b) The purpose of this title [see Short Title note set out under section 761 of this title] is to establish within the Federal Energy Administration an Office of Energy Information and Analysis and a National Energy Infor- mation System to assure the availability of adequate, comparable, accurate, and credible energy information to the Federal Energy Administration, to other Gov- ernment agencies responsible for energy-related policy decisions, to the Congress, and to the public.’’ § 790a. National Energy Information System; in- formation required to be maintained (a) It shall be the duty of the Director to es- tablish a National Energy Information System (hereinafter referred to in this chapter as the ‘‘System’’), which shall be operated and main- tained by the Office. The System shall contain such information as is required to provide a de- scription of and facilitate analysis of energy supply and consumption within and affecting the United States on the basis of such geo- graphic areas and economic sectors as may be appropriate to meet adequately the needs of— (1) the Federal Energy Administration in carrying out its lawful functions; (2) the Congress; (3) other officers and employees of the United States in whom have been vested, or to whom have been delegated energy-related pol- icy decisionmaking responsibilities; and (4) the States to the extent required by the Natural Gas Act [15 U.S.C. 717 et seq.] and the Federal Power Act [16 U.S.C. 791a et seq.]. (b) At a minimum, the System shall contain such energy information as is necessary to carry out the Administration’s statistical and fore- casting activities, and shall include, at the ear- liest date and to the maximum extent practical subject to the resources available and the Direc- tor’s ordering of those resources to meet the re- sponsibilities of his Office, such energy informa- tion as is required to define and permit analysis of— (1) the institutional structure of the energy supply system including patterns of ownership and control of mineral fuel and nonmineral en- ergy resources and the production, distribu- tion, and marketing of mineral fuels and elec- tricity; (2) the consumption of mineral fuels, non- mineral energy resources, and electricity by such classes, sectors, and regions as may be appropriate for the purposes of this chapter; (3) the sensitivity of energy resource re- serves, exploration, development, production, transportation, and consumption to economic factors, environmental constraints, techno- logical improvements, and substitutability of alternate energy sources; (4) the comparability of energy information and statistics that are supplied by different sources; (5) industrial, labor, and regional impacts of changes in patterns of energy supply and con- sumption; (6) international aspects, economic and oth- erwise, of the evolving energy situation; and (7) long-term relationships between energy supply and consumption in the United States and world communities. (Pub. L. 93–275, § 52, as added Pub. L. 94–385, title I, § 142, Aug. 14, 1976, 90 Stat. 1135; amended Pub. L. 95–91, title VII, § 709(a)(3), Aug. 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 608.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT The Natural Gas Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(4), is act June 21, 1938, ch. 556, 52 Stat. 821, which is classified generally to chapter 15B (§ 717 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see sec- tion 717w of this title and Tables. The Federal Power Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(4), is act June 10, 1920, ch. 285, 41 Stat. 1063, which is classi- fied generally to chapter 12 (§ 791a et seq.) of Title 16, Conservation. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 791a of Title 16 and Tables. AMENDMENTS 1977—Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 95–91 added par. (4). Page 1249 TITLE 15—COMMERCE AND TRADE § 790c Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective 150 days after Aug. 14, 1976, see sec- tion 143 of Pub. L. 94–385, set out as a note under sec- tion 790 of this title. TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS Functions assigned to Director of Office of Energy In- formation and Analysis under this subchapter vested in Administrator of Energy Information Administration within Department of Energy by section 7135(c) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. Federal Energy Administration terminated and func- tions vested by law in Administrator thereof trans- ferred to Secretary of Energy (unless otherwise specifi- cally provided) by sections 7151(a) and 7293 of Title 42. § 790b. Administrative provisions (a) Compensation of Director The Director of the Office shall receive com- pensation at the rate now or hereafter pre- scribed for offices and positions at level IV of the Executive Schedule as specified in section 5315 of title 5. (b) Authorization of Director to appoint and fix compensation of employees To carry out the functions of the Office, the Director, on behalf of the Administrator, is au- thorized to appoint and fix the compensation of such professionally qualified employees as he deems necessary, including up to ten of the em- ployees in grade GS–16, GS–17, or GS–18 author- ized by section 766 of this title. (c) Delegation of functions by the Director The functions and powers of the Office shall be vested in or delegated to the Director, who may from time to time, and to the extent permitted by law, consistent with the purposes of this chapter, delegate such of his functions as he deems appropriate. Such delegation may be made, upon request, to any officer or agency of the Federal Government. (d) Access to Director by Congress; requests for appropriations (1) The Director shall be available to the Con- gress to provide testimony on such subjects under his authority and responsibility as the Congress may request, including but not limited to energy information and analyses thereof. (2) Any request for appropriations for the Fed- eral Energy Administration submitted to the Congress shall identify the portion of such re- quest intended for the support of the Office, and a statement of the differences, if any, between the amounts requested and the Director’s assess- ment of the budgetary needs of the Office. (Pub. L. 93–275, § 53, as added Pub. L. 94–385, title I, § 142, Aug. 14, 1976, 90 Stat. 1136.) Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective 150 days after Aug. 14, 1976, see sec- tion 143 of Pub. L. 94–385, set out as a note under sec- tion 790 of this title. TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS Functions assigned to Director of Office of Energy In- formation and Analysis under this subchapter vested in Administrator of Energy Information Administration within Department of Energy by section 7135(c) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. Federal Energy Administration terminated and func- tions vested by law in Administrator thereof trans- ferred to Secretary of Energy (unless otherwise specifi- cally provided) by sections 7151(a) and 7293 of Title 42. REFERENCES IN OTHER LAWS TO GS–16, 17, OR 18 PAY RATES References in laws to the rates of pay for GS–16, 17, or 18, or to maximum rates of pay under the General Schedule, to be considered references to rates payable under specified sections of Title 5, Government Organi- zation and Employees, see section 529 [title I, § 101(c)(1)] of Pub. L. 101–509, set out in a note under section 5376 of Title 5. § 790c. Analysis and evaluation of energy infor- mation; establishment and maintenance by Director of professional, etc., capability; spe- cific capabilities (a) The Director shall establish and maintain the scientific, engineering, statistical, or other technical capability to perform analysis of en- ergy information to— (1) verify the accuracy of items of energy in- formation submitted to the Director; and (2) insure the coordination and com- parability of the energy information in posses- sion of the Office and other Federal agencies. (b) The Director shall establish and maintain the professional and analytic capability to evaluate independently the adequacy and com- prehensiveness of the energy information in pos- session of the Office and other agencies of the Federal Government in relation to the purposes of this chapter and for the performance of the analyses described in section 790a of this title. Such analytic capability shall include— (1) expertise in economics, finance, and ac- counting; (2) the capability to evaluate estimates of reserves of mineral fuels and nonmineral en- ergy resources utilizing alternative meth- odologies; (3) the development and evaluation of energy flow and accounting models describing the production, distribution, and consumption of energy by the various sectors of the economy and lines of commerce in the energy industry; (4) the development and evaluation of alter- native forecasting models describing the short- and long-term relationships between en- ergy supply and consumption and appropriate variables; and (5) such other capabilities as the Director deems necessary to achieve the purposes of this chapter. (Pub. L. 93–275, § 54, as added Pub. L. 94–385, title I, § 142, Aug. 14, 1976, 90 Stat. 1137.) Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective 150 days after Aug. 14, 1976, see sec- tion 143 of Pub. L. 94–385, set out as a note under sec- tion 790 of this title. TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS Functions assigned to Director of Office of Energy In- formation and Analysis under this subchapter vested in