GW Law Library: Library Guides: U.S. Energy Law: Electricity: Laws & Legislative History

Laws & Compiled Legislative Histories

Public Utility Act of 1935, ch. 687, 49 Stat. 803 (1935), 16 U.S.C. §§791a et seq.

Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 (PUHCA), ch. 687, 49 Stat. 803 (1935), 15 U.S.C. §§79 et seq.
Title I of the Public Utility Act of 1935 is known as the "Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 (PUHCA)." The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) repealed Public Utility Holding Company Act 1935.

Department of Energy Organization Act, Pub. L. No. 95–91, title IV, § 401, 91 Stat. 565 (1977), 42 U.S.C. §§7171-7178

Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA), Pub.L. No. 95–617, 92 Stat. 3117 (1978), (codified in scattered sections of 7 U.S.C., 15 U.S.C., 16 U.S.C., 30 U.S.C., 42 U.S.C., and 43 U.S.C.)

Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978, Pub. L. No. 95-621, 92 Stat. 3350 (1978), 15 U.S.C. §§3301 et seq.

Energy Policy Act of 1992, Pub. L. No. 102-486, 106 Stat. 2776 (1992) (codified in scattered sections of 12 U.S.C., 16 U.S.C., 25 U.S.C., 26 U.S.C., 30 U.S.C., 42 U.S.C.)

Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005), Pub. L. No. 109-58, 119 Stat. 594 (2005), (codified in scattered sections of 7 U.S.C., 10 U.S.C., 15 U.S.C., 16 U.S.C., 22 U.S.C., 26 U.S.C., 30 U.S.C., 40 U.S.C., 42 U.S.C.)

Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005 (PUHC 2005), Pub. L. No.109-58, §§1261-1277, 119 Stat. 972 (2005), 42 U.S.C. §15801 note, §§16451-16463
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) repealed Public Utility Holding Company Act 1935 (administered by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)), thus revoking the SEC's authority to oversee mergers and other transactions of public utility holding companies. In EPAct, Congress adopted new language concerning regulation of holding companies. This new language is often referred to as the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005 (PUHCA 2005).
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PUHCA 2005 expands the authority of the FERC to oversee transactions and other financial activities of public utility holding companies through grants of access to those companies' books and records.

Source: Adam Vann, Cong. Research Serv., RL33739, "The Repeal of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 (PUHCA) and Its Impact on Electric and Gas Utilities" at 2 (2006).

Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, Pub. L. No. 110–140, 121 Stat. 1492 (2007), 42 U.S.C. §§17001-17386

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), Pub. L. No. 111-5, 123 Stat. 115 (2009), (codified in scattered sections of the U.S.C., see 26 U.S.C. §46, §48C and 42 U.S.C. §17384, §17386)
Provided funding for a broad range of technologies in an effort to modernize the electric grid.

Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), Pub. L. 117-169, 136 Stat. 1818 (2022)
The IRA contains provisions aimed at incentivizing increased development of electricity transmission infrastructure in the U.S. and includes provisions affecting energy use in the buildings sector.
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Additional information can be found in the following CRS reports: "Electricity Transmission Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Aug. 23, 2022)" and "The Inflation Reduction Act: Financial Incentives for Residential Energy Efficiency and Electrification Projects (Feb. 16, 2023)."

CRS research attorneys write concise, objective reports on current legislative issues.

The reports are periodically updated. To locate a CRS report or the most recent version of a CRS report, search:

Selected reports relating to electric utilities:

Electricity Transmission Permitting Reform Proposals (May 24, 2024)
Energy Production on Federal Lands: Leasing and Authorization (July 19, 2024)

Energy & Natural Resources
The CBO provides independent analyses of budgetary and economic issues to the U.S. Congress in the form of reports and cost estimates for proposed legislation.

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