Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§8201 Findings and statement of purposes

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 91— - NATIONAL ENERGY CONSERVATION POLICY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 8201

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Requires continued action to cut U.S. use of nonrenewable energy (like oil and natural gas) and to use energy more efficiently. Says the country survived an energy shortage and that the federal government, energy users and suppliers must slow growth in energy demand. The law aims to manage trade between states, reduce energy demand growth, and conserve nonrenewable resources here and abroad while allowing beneficial economic growth.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §8201

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

(a)The Congress finds that—
(1)the United States has survived a period of energy shortage and has made significant progress toward improving energy efficiency in all sectors of the economy;
(2)effective measures must continue to be taken by the Federal Government and other users and suppliers of energy to control the rate of growth of demand for energy and the efficiency of its use;
(3)the continuation of this effort will permit the United States to become increasingly independent of the world oil market, less vulnerable to interruption of foreign oil supplies, and more able to provide energy to meet future needs; and
(4)all sectors of the economy of the United States should continue to reduce significantly the demand for nonrenewable energy resources such as oil and natural gas by implementing and maintaining effective conservation measures for the efficient use of these and other energy sources.
(b)The purposes of this chapter are to provide for the regulation of interstate commerce, to reduce the growth in demand for energy in the United States, and to conserve nonrenewable energy resources produced in this Nation and elsewhere, without inhibiting beneficial economic growth.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (b), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 95–619, Nov. 9, 1978, 92 Stat. 3206, known as the National Energy Conservation Policy Act. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out below and Tables.

Amendments

1986—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99–412 amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “The Congress finds that— “(1) the United States faces an energy shortage arising from increasing demand for energy, particularly for oil and natural gas, and insufficient domestic supplies of oil and natural gas to satisfy that demand; “(2) unless effective measures are promptly taken by the Federal Government and other users of energy to reduce the rate of growth of demand for energy, the United States will become increasingly dependent on the world oil market, increasingly vulnerable to interruptions of foreign oil supplies, and unable to provide the energy to meet future needs; and “(3) all sectors of our Nation’s economy must begin immediately to significantly reduce the demand for nonrenewable energy resources such as oil and natural gas by implementing and maintaining effective conservation measures for the efficient use of these and other energy sources.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

of 1988 Amendment Pub. L. 100–615, § 1, Nov. 5, 1988, 102 Stat. 3185, provided that: “This Act [enacting section 5001 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade, amending section 6361 and 8251 to 8259 of this title, omitting section 8260 and 8261 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 8253 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Federal Energy Management Improvement Act of 1988’.”

Short Title

of 1986 Amendment Pub. L. 99–412, § 1, Aug. 28, 1986, 100 Stat. 932, provided that: “This Act [enacting sections 8227 to 8229 of this title, amending section 8201, 8211, 8213 to 8220, and 8226 of this title, repealing sections 8281 to 8281b, 8282 to 8282b, 8283, 8283a, and 8284 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under section 8211, 8216, 8217, 8281, and 8282 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Conservation Service Reform Act of 1986’.”

Short Title

Pub. L. 95–619, title I, § 101(a), Nov. 9, 1978, 92 Stat. 3206, provided that: “This Act [enacting this chapter, section 1490i, 6215, 6311 to 6317, 6344a, 6371, 6371a to 6371j, 6372, 6372a to 6372i, 6373, 6873, and 7141 of this title, and sections 1723f to 1723h of Title 12, Banks and Banking, amending section 300k–2, 300n–1, 1437c, 1471, 1474, 1483, 6202, 6211, 6233 to 6241, 6243 to 6245, 6272 to 6274, 6291 to 6299, 6303 to 6309, 6321 to 6327, 6341 to 6346, 6361, 6381, 6383, 6392, 6836, 6862, 6863, 6865, and 6872 of this title, section 1451, 1703, 1709, 1713, 1715z–6, 1717, and 1735f–4 of Title 12, and section 2006 and 2008 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade, repealing section 6397 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section, section 6321, 6344a, 6345, 6371, and 6372 of this title, section 2006 of Title 15, and section 217 of Title 23, Highways] may be cited as the ‘National Energy Conservation Policy Act’.” Pub. L. 95–619, title V, § 561, Nov. 9, 1978, 92 Stat. 3280, provided that: “This part [part 4 (§§ 561–569) of title V of Pub. L. 95–619, enacting sections 8271 to 8278 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Federal Photovoltaic Utilization Act’.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 8201

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73