---
kind: "section"
citation: "15 U.S.C. § 773"
title: "15"
title_heading: "Commerce and Trade"
number: "773"
heading: "Public disclosure of information"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/15/773"
units:
  - "Chapter 16B — Federal Energy Administration"
  - "Subchapter I — Federal Energy Administration"
---

# §773. Public disclosure of information

- (a) **Analyses, data, information, reports, and summaries; objectives of disclosure—** The [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) shall make public, on a continuing basis, any statistical and economic analyses, data, information, and whatever reports and summaries are necessary to keep the public fully and currently informed as to the nature, extent, and projected duration of shortages of energy supplies, the impact of such shortages, and the steps being taken to minimize such impacts.
- (b) **Freedom of Information Act applicable; disclosure of confidential information or trade secrets; disclosure of matter included in public annual reports to Securities and Exchange Commission and matter excepted from such disclosure—** Subject to the provisions of this chapter, [section 552 of title 5](/usc/5/552.md) shall apply to public disclosure of information by the [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1): Provided, That notwithstanding said section, the provisions of [section 1905 of title 18](/usc/18/1905.md), or any other provision of law, (1) all matters reported to, or otherwise obtained by, any [person](/usc/15/7a.md?p=6) exercising authority under this chapter containing trade secrets or other matter referred to in [section 1905 of title 18](/usc/18/1905.md), may be disclosed to other [persons](/usc/15/7a.md?p=6) authorized to perform functions under this chapter solely to carry out the purposes of the chapter, or when relevant in any proceeding under this chapter, and (2) the [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) shall disclose to the public, at a reasonable cost, and upon a request which reasonably describes the matter sought, any matter of the type which could not be excluded from public annual reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to section [78m](/usc/15/78m.md) or [78o(d)](/usc/15/78o.md?p=d) of this title by a business enterprise exclusively engaged in the manufacture or sale of a single product, unless such matter concerns or relates to the trade secrets, processes, operations, style of work, or apparatus of a business enterprise.
- (c) **Guidelines and procedures for handling information pertaining to individuals; access of individuals to such personal information—** To protect and assure privacy of individuals and confidentiality of personal information, the [Administrator](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) is directed to establish guidelines and procedures for handling any information which the [Administration](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) obtains pertaining to individuals. He shall provide, to the extent practicable, in such guidelines and procedures a method for allowing any such individual to gain access to such information pertaining to himself.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 93–275, § 14, May 7, 1974, 88 Stat. 108.)

## Notes

### 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.