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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Administration of energy shortages: natural gas and petroleum

Book ·
OSTI ID:7264122

An affluent, industrial society such as the United States would soon strangle if it were deprived of a large fraction of its energy supplies. Even a small reduction in energy supply for a short time could cause widespread economic disruption and dangerous social conflict if the shortage were managed ineffectively. This study considers the role of the Federal government in managing energy shortages within the United States. Its purpose is to contribute to the development of an administrative capacity within the government to manage fairly and effectively the kind of energy shortages that may occur in the United States in the late 1970s. The study focuses on natural gas and petroleum. Together, these two primary fuels account for three-fourths of current U.S. energy consumption. Chapter One defines what is meant by energy ''shortage'' and shows how the particular problem of shortages is related to the matrix of other problems constituting America's continuing energy crisis. Chapters Two through Four analyze the experience of the Federal Power Commission (FPC) with natural gas curtailments through 1975. Chapters Five through Seven contain a parallel analysis of the petroleum allocation experience of the Federal Energy Administration and a discussion of the relevant provisions of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, which became law in December 1975. Drawing upon the previous discussion, Chapter Eight considers the generic issues and options involved in the development of an administrative capacity to manage the kind of energy shortages or threatened shortages that are reasonable contingencies for which to prepare in the near future. Chapter Nine contains an analysis of Federal constitutional issues relevant to the administration of energy shortages. Chapter Ten sets forth general conclusions and recommendations.

OSTI ID:
7264122
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English