Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§13234 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authority to approve recovery of certain expenses in advance

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 134— - ENERGY POLICY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - ALTERNATIVE FUELS—NON-FEDERAL PROGRAMS › § 13234

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission can let natural-gas companies collect money from current and future customers ahead of time to pay for research and demonstration work by the Gas Research Institute. The Commission must find that the benefits, including environmental benefits, to current and future customers are greater than all direct costs to those customers. As much as possible, projects must get part of their funding from other sources like cash, staff, services, equipment, or other contributions. The Commission can also let electric utilities collect money in advance for Electric Power Research Institute projects on electric motor vehicles. The same test of net benefit to current and future customers applies. As much as possible, each project must be cofunded by sources besides customer charges.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §13234

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may, under section 717c of title 15, allow recovery of expenses in advance by natural-gas companies for research, development, and demonstration activities by the Gas Research Institute for projects on the use of natural gas, including fuels derived from natural gas, for transportation, and projects on the use of natural gas to control pollutants and to control emissions from the combustion of other fuels, if the Commission finds that the benefits, including environmental benefits, to existing and future ratepayers resulting from such activities exceed all direct costs to existing and future ratepayers. To the maximum extent practicable, through the establishment of cofunding requirements applicable to such projects, the Commission shall ensure that the costs of such activities shall be provided in part, through contributions of cash, personnel, services, equipment, and other resources, by sources other than the recovery of expenses pursuant to this section.
(b)The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may, under section 824d of title 16, allow recovery of expenses in advance by electric utilities for research, development, and demonstration activities by the Electric Power Research Institute for projects on electric motor vehicles, if the Commission finds that the benefits, including environmental benefits, to existing and future ratepayers resulting from such activities exceed all direct costs to existing and future ratepayers. To the maximum extent practicable, through the establishment of cofunding requirements applicable to each project, the costs of such activities shall be provided, in part, through contributions of cash, personnel, services, equipment, and other resources, by sources other than the recovery of expenses pursuant to this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section is comprised of section 408 of Pub. L. 102–486. Subsec. (c) of section 408 of Pub. L. 102–486 repealed provisions of title III of Pub. L. 102–104, formerly set out as a note under section 717c of Title 15, Commerce and Trade.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 13234

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73