---
kind: "section"
citation: "15 U.S.C. § 772"
title: "15"
title_heading: "Commerce and Trade"
number: "772"
heading: "Administrator’s information-gathering power"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/15/772"
units:
  - "Chapter 16B — Federal Energy Administration"
  - "Subchapter I — Federal Energy Administration"
---

# §772. Administrator’s information-gathering power

- (a) **Comprehensive and particular energy information; categorical groupings; monitoring activity and policy guidance—** The [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) shall collect, assemble, evaluate, and analyze energy information by categorical groupings, established by the [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1), of sufficient comprehensiveness and particularity to permit fully informed monitoring and policy guidance with respect to the exercise of his functions under this chapter.
- (b) **Information and data to Administrator from owners or operators of facilities or business premises engaged in energy matters—** All [persons](/usc/15/7a.md?p=6) owning or operating facilities or business premises who are engaged in any phase of energy supply or major energy consumption shall make available to the [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) such information and periodic reports, records, documents, and other data, relating to the purposes of this chapter, including full identification of all data and projections as to source, time, and methodology of development, as the [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) may prescribe by regulation or order as necessary or appropriate for the proper exercise of functions under this chapter.
- (c) **General or special orders for filing reports or answers in writing to specific questions, surveys, or questionnaires; oath or otherwise; filing period—** The [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) may require, by general or special orders, any [person](/usc/15/7a.md?p=6) engaged in any phase of energy supply or major energy consumption to file with the [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) in such form as he may prescribe, reports or answers in writing to such specific questions, surveys, or questionnaires as may be necessary to enable the [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) to carry out his functions under this chapter. Such reports and answers shall be made under oath, or otherwise, as the [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) may prescribe, and shall be filed with the [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) within such reasonable period as he may prescribe.
- (d) **Investigations, physical inspections, inventories and samples, copies, and interrogations—** The [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1), to verify the accuracy of information he has received or otherwise to obtain information necessary to perform his functions under this chapter, is authorized to conduct investigations, and in connection therewith, to conduct, at reasonable times and in a reasonable manner, physical inspections at energy facilities and business premises, to inventory and sample any stock of fuels or energy sources therein, to inspect and copy records, reports, and documents from which energy information has been or is being compiled, and to question such [persons](/usc/15/7a.md?p=6) as he may deem necessary.
- (e) **Subpenas; attendance and testimony of witnesses; production of evidence; enforcement; judicial orders; contempt—**
  - (1) The [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1), or any of his duly authorized agents, shall have the power to require by subpena the attendance and testimony of witnesses, and the production of all information, documents, reports, answers, records, accounts, papers, and other data and documentary evidence which the [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) is authorized to obtain pursuant to this section.
  - (2) Any appropriate United States district court may, in case of contumacy or refusal to obey a subpena issued pursuant to this section, issue an order requiring the party to whom such subpena is directed to appear before the [Administration](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) and to give testimony touching on the matter in question, or to produce any matter described in paragraph (1) of this subsection, and any failure to obey such order of the court may be punished by such court as a contempt thereof.
- (f) **Federal information concerning energy resources on Federal lands; scope of information—** The [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) shall collect from departments, agencies and instrumentalities of the executive branch of the Government (including independent agencies), and each such department, agency, and instrumentality is authorized and directed to furnish, upon his request, information concerning energy resources on lands owned by the Government of the United States. Such information shall include, but not be limited to, quantities of reserves, current or proposed leasing [agreements](/usc/15/7a.md?p=2), environmental considerations, and economic impact analyses.
- (g) **Maintenance of records and accounts—** With respect to any [person](/usc/15/7a.md?p=6) who is subject to any rule, regulation, or order promulgated by the [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) or to any provision of law the [administration](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) of which is vested in or transferred or delegated to the [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1), the [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) may require, by rule, the keeping of such accounts or records as he determines are necessary or appropriate for determining compliance with such rule, regulation, order, or any applicable provision of law.
- (h) **Alleviation of reporting burdens for small businesses—** In exercising his authority under this chapter and any other provision of law relating to the collection of energy information, the [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) shall take into account the size of businesses required to submit reports with the [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) so as to avoid, to the greatest extent practicable, overly burdensome reporting requirements on small marketers and distributors of petroleum products and other [small business concerns](/usc/15/636e.md?p=6) required to submit reports to the [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1).
- (i) **Penalties for failure to file information—** Any failure to make information available to the [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) under [subsection (b)](#b), any failure to comply with any general or special order under [subsection (c)](#c), or any failure to allow the [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) to act under [subsection (d)](#d) shall be subject to the same penalties as any violation of [section 796 of this title](/usc/15/796.md) or any rule, regulation, or order issued under such section.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 93–275, § 13, May 7, 1974, 88 Stat. 107; Pub. L. 94–385, title I, §§ 107, 108, Aug. 14, 1976, 90 Stat. 1129.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1976—Subsecs. (g), (h). Pub. L. 94–385, § 107, added subsecs. (g) and (h).

Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 94–385, § 108, added subsec. (i).

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Transfer of Functions

Federal Energy Administration terminated and functions vested by law in Administrator thereof transferred to Secretary of Energy (unless otherwise specifically provided) by sections 7151(a) and 7293 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.