---
kind: "section"
citation: "15 U.S.C. § 3205"
title: "15"
title_heading: "Commerce and Trade"
number: "3205"
heading: "Federal participation"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/15/3205"
units:
  - "Chapter 59 — Retail Policies for Natural Gas Utilities"
---

# §3205. Federal participation

- (a) **Intervention—** In addition to the authorities vested in the Secretary pursuant to any other provision of law, the Secretary, on his own motion, may intervene as a matter of right in any proceeding before a [State regulatory authority](/usc/15/3202.md?p=8) which relates to [gas utility](/usc/15/3202.md?p=2) [rates](/usc/15/3202.md?p=5) or [rate](/usc/15/3202.md?p=5) design. Such intervention shall be solely for the purpose of advocating policies or methods which carry out the purposes set forth in [section 3201 of this title](/usc/15/3201.md).
- (b) **Rights—** The Secretary shall have the same rights as any other party to a proceeding before a [State regulatory authority](/usc/15/3202.md?p=8) which relates to [gas utility](/usc/15/3202.md?p=2) [rates](/usc/15/3202.md?p=5) or [rate](/usc/15/3202.md?p=5) design.
- (c) **Nonregulated gas utilities—** The Secretary, on his own motion, may, to the same extent as provided in subsections [(a)](#a) through [(b)](#b), intervene as a matter of right in any proceeding which relates to [rates](/usc/15/3202.md?p=5) or [rate](/usc/15/3202.md?p=5) design of [nonregulated gas utilities](/usc/15/3202.md?p=4).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 95–617, title III, § 305, Nov. 9, 1978, 92 Stat. 3152.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Definitions

The definition of Secretary in section 2602 of Title 16, Conservation, applies to this section.