§777 Economic analysis of proposed actions

Summary

The Administrator must, as much as possible, study and think about the economic effects before making rules or other actions under this law. The review must cover nine areas, including state and local government budgets, important industries, jobs at national and local levels, regional economies, consumer goods and prices, gross national product, low- and middle-income families, competition, and small businesses. The Administrator must also study how conservation steps affect states or big parts of the economy, looking at energy used as fuel and as industrial feedstock. The studies should be clear when possible, and the Administrator must work with other federal, state, and local agencies that have relevant knowledge. Other federal agencies must help. These studies do not create new legal rights to sue. The Administrator, together with the Secretaries of Labor and Commerce, must watch the economic effects of energy actions and send Congress an annual report on how the energy shortage and the Administrator’s actions affect jobs and the economy, with suggestions for any needed federal help. Rules must not unfairly favor any industry or region, and the costs of dealing with energy shortages should be shared as equally as possible across the country and the economy.