---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 16454"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "16454"
heading: "Exemption authority"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/16454"
units:
  - "Chapter 149 — National Energy Policy and Programs"
  - "Subchapter XII — Electricity"
  - "Part D"
---

# §16454. Exemption authority

- (a) **Rulemaking—** Not later than 90 days after the effective date of this part, the [Commission](/usc/42/16451.md?p=3) shall issue a final rule to exempt from the requirements of [section 16452 of this title](/usc/42/16452.md) (relating to Federal access to books and records) any [person](/usc/42/16451.md?p=12) that is a [holding company](/usc/42/16451.md?p=8-A), solely with respect to one or more—
  - (1) qualifying facilities under the [Public Utility](/usc/42/16451.md?p=13) Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 ([16 U.S.C. 2601](/usc/16/2601.md) et seq.);
  - (2) [exempt wholesale generators](/usc/42/16451.md?p=6); or
  - (3) [foreign utility companies](/usc/42/16451.md?p=6).
- (b) **Other authority—** The [Commission](/usc/42/16451.md?p=3) shall exempt a [person](/usc/42/16451.md?p=12) or transaction from the requirements of [section 16452 of this title](/usc/42/16452.md) (relating to Federal access to books and records) if, upon application or upon the motion of the [Commission](/usc/42/16451.md?p=3)—
  - (1) the [Commission](/usc/42/16451.md?p=3) finds that the books, accounts, memoranda, and other records of any [person](/usc/42/16451.md?p=12) are not relevant to the [jurisdictional rates](/usc/42/16451.md?p=10) of a [public utility](/usc/42/16451.md?p=13) or [natural gas company](/usc/42/16451.md?p=11); or
  - (2) the [Commission](/usc/42/16451.md?p=3) finds that any class of transactions is not relevant to the [jurisdictional rates](/usc/42/16451.md?p=10) of a [public utility](/usc/42/16451.md?p=13) or [natural gas company](/usc/42/16451.md?p=11).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 109–58, title XII, § 1266, Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 975.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

For the effective date of this part, referred to in subsec. (a), see Effective Date note set out under section 16451 of this title.

The Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), is Pub. L. 95–617, Nov. 9, 1978, 92 Stat. 3117. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 2601 of Title 16, Conservation, and Tables.