Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110

§16524 Study on the Benefits of Economic Dispatch

Title 42 › CHAPTER 149 — NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY AND PROGRAMS › SUBCHAPTER XVI — STUDIES › § 16524

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must work with the states to study three things: how electric utilities now do economic dispatch; what changes could help nonutility generators offer their power; and what benefits residents, businesses, and industry would get nationwide and in each state if those changes were made. Economic dispatch means running generators to meet demand at the lowest reliable cost while following technical limits. The Secretary must report results and recommendations to Congress and the states within 90 days after August 8, 2005, and every year after.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §16524

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. § 16524

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110