Energy Policy Project

By Aclark22

  • Federal Water Power Act

    Encouraged the development of hydroelectric power projects Established the Federal Power Commission (replaced in 1977 by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) Renamed Federal Power Act in 1935 - expanded the Commission's jurisdiction to include all interstate electricity transmission

  • Public Utility Holding Company Act

    Regulated the size and geographic range of electric and natural gas utilities Required all public utility holding companies to register with the SEC in an effort to curb questionable business practices among large utility companies during the 1920s and 1930s

  • Rural Electrification Act

    Provided federal loans to install electrical distribution systems to rural areas through cooperative electrical companies that bought electricity wholesale and then distributed it through their own transmission and distribution lines

  • Natural Gas Act

    Gave FPC authority to set "just and reasonable" rates for interstate transmission and sales of natural gas Required DOE approval for the permitting, siting, construction, and operation of import and export facilities Required FPC approval for abandonment of pipelines or services

  • Atomic Energy Act

    Decided that nuclear weapon development and nuclear power management would be under civilian control (not military); established the US Atomic Energy Commission Imposed a strict ban on the release of atomic technology to other world powers, even allies

  • Energy Reorganization Act

    Established the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, splitting the responsibility for nuclear weapons and civilian nuclear power between the DOE and the NRC, respectively Provided protections for employees raising concerns over nuclear safety

  • Energy Policy and Conservation Act

    Established the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (link is external) Mandated vehicle fuel economy standards Extended oil price controls through 1979

  • Department of Energy Organization Act

    Established the Department of Energy as a Cabinet level organization, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (link is external) (FERC) within the DOE

  • National Energy Act

    Established tax incentives and disincentives, alternative fuel programs, energy efficiency initiatives, and other regulatory and market-based initiatives in response to the oil crisis earlier in the decade
    Comprised of 5 statutes:
    1 Energy Tax Act

    2 Natural Gas Policy Act

    3 National Energy Conservation Policy Act

    4 Power Plant and Industrial Fuel Use Act

    5 Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act


  • Energy Security Act

    Establishes 7 Titles
    • Title I:  US Synthetic Fuels Corporation Act • Title II:  Biomass Energy and Alcohol Fuels Act • Title III:  Energy Targets • Title IV:  Renewable Initiatives • Title V:  Solar Energy and Energy Conservation • Title VI:  Geothermal Energy Act • Title VII:  Acid Precipitation Program • Title VIII:  Strategic Petroleum Reserve

  • Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Act

    Promoted the development of ocean thermal energy conversion to minimize dependence on foreign oil, with NOAA having the authority to license OTEC facilities, but low fossil fuel prices resulted in no requests for license applications being filed

  • Nuclear Waste Policy Act

    Required Secretary of Energy to issue guidelines for selecting sites for 2 permanent nuclear waste repositories, required the President to review recommendations and submit to Congress his selection for the first site by March 31, 1987 and for the second site by March 31, 1990 Authorized DOE to provide about 1900 metric tons of temporary storage capacity Established a fund to pay for costs associated with constructing and operating a permanent repository

  • Energy Policy Act

    Amended the National Energy Conservation Policy Act of 1978 Created framework for wholesale electricity generation Provided financial incentives to users/developers of clean-fuel vehicles; repealed alternative minimum tax for some producers Intended to expand the use of natural gas

  • Farm Security and Rural Investment Act (Farm Bill)

    First time an Energy Title was included in the Farm Bill - including $405 million in mandatory funding over the following 5 years for the procurement of biobased products, grants and loans for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, research and development and the bioenergy program Included for reasons of national energy and security, rural economic development, and environmental sustainability in light of climate change impacts

  • Energy Policy Act

    Offers tax benefits to individuals who increase energy efficiency in existing homes, buy or lease hybrid/alternative vehicles Required all public utilities to offer net metering on request Increased required amounts of renewable fuel in gasoline sold in the US Encourages more domestic energy production

  • Energy Independence and Security Act

    Increased CAFE standards to 35 mpg (fleetwide for passenger autos and light trucks) by 2020; instituted new conservation measures for federal fleet vehicles; authorized increased taxpayer-funded biofuel production (36 billion gallons by 2022 - 21 billion of which must be derived from non-cornstarch products) Revised standards for appliances and lighting; all federal buildings must use Energy Star lighting products; training for green jobs; loans for small business energy efficiency improvements

  • Food, Conservation, and Energy Act (Farm Bill)

    Includes provisions for loan guarantees for biorefineries, payments to support expansion of advanced biofuels, expands the existing Rural Energy for America Program, provides grant monies for biofuel and biobased product research and development

  • The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

    A massive $800 billion economic stimulus package aimed at job creation and the promotion of investment and consumer spending Included $4.3 billion in tax credits to homeowners for energy efficiency improvements in 2009-2010, $300 million for reducing diesel engine emissions, $21.5 billion for energy infrastructure, $27.2 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy research and investment, $2 billion in research for DOE, $600 million in research for NOAA

  • United States v. Imperial Petroleum, Inc.

    Per the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, a tax subsidy was offered to the very first person or organization to mix pure biodiesel (B100) with petroleum diesel. Imperial Petroleum claimed that they did it and sold a few megaliters before being caught and accused of fraud. The case is still going on today

  • The Clean Power Plan

    The first comprehensive plan to address carbon emissions nationally Provides states flexibility in meeting reduction goals