Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110

§16432 Study on the Benefits of Economic Dispatch

Title 42 › CHAPTER 149 — NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY AND PROGRAMS › SUBCHAPTER XII — ELECTRICITY › Part B — Transmission Operation Improvements › § 16432

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must work with the States to study how electric utilities run economic dispatch. The study must look at current procedures, possible changes to let power plants not owned by utilities sell their output for inclusion, and the likely benefits for residential, commercial, and industrial electricity customers nationwide and in each State. Economic dispatch means running generators to meet demand at the lowest cost while respecting limits on generation and transmission. Not later than 90 days after August 8, 2005, and every year after, the Secretary must send a report to Congress and the States with the study results and any suggested changes to laws or rules.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §16432

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

(a)Study

The Secretary, in coordination and consultation with the States, shall conduct a study on—

(1)the procedures currently used by electric utilities to perform economic dispatch;

(2)identifying possible revisions to those procedures to improve the ability of nonutility generation resources to offer their output for sale for the purpose of inclusion in economic dispatch; and

(3)the potential benefits to residential, commercial, and industrial electricity consumers nationally and in each State if economic dispatch procedures were revised to improve the ability of nonutility generation resources to offer their output for inclusion in economic dispatch.

(b)Definition

The term “economic dispatch” when used in this section means the operation of generation facilities to produce energy at the lowest cost to reliably serve consumers, recognizing any operational limits of generation and transmission facilities.

(c)Report to Congress and the States

Not later than 90 days after August 8, 2005, and on a yearly basis following, the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress and the States on the results of the study conducted under subsection (a), including recommendations to Congress and the States for any suggested legislative or regulatory changes.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 16432

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110