---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 5916"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "5916"
heading: "Central source of nonnuclear energy information"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/5916"
units:
  - "Chapter 74 — Nonnuclear Energy Research and Development"
---

# §5916. Central source of nonnuclear energy information


The [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) shall promptly establish, develop, acquire, and maintain a central source of information on all energy resources and technology in furtherance of the research, development, and demonstration mission carried out directly or indirectly under this chapter. When the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) determines that such information is needed to carry out the purposes of this chapter, the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) may acquire proprietary and other information (a) by purchase through negotiation or by donation from any person, or (b) from another Federal [agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1). The information maintained by the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) shall be made available to the public, subject to the provisions of [section 552 of title 5](/usc/5/552.md) and [section 1905 of title 18](/usc/18/1905.md), and to other Government [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) in a manner that will facilitate its dissemination: Provided, That upon a showing satisfactory to the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) by any person that any information, or portion thereof, obtained under this section by the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) directly or indirectly from such person, would, if made public, divulge (1) trade secrets or (2) other proprietary information of such person, the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) shall not disclose such information and disclosure thereof shall be punishable under [section 1905 of title 18](/usc/18/1905.md): Provided further, That the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) shall, upon request, provide such information to (A) any delegate of the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) for the purpose of carrying out this chapter, and (B) the Attorney General, the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of Agriculture, the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of the Interior, the Federal Trade Commission, the Environmental Protection [Agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission[^1] the Government Accountability Office, other Federal [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1), when necessary to carry out their duties and responsibilities under this chapter and other statutes, but such [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) and [agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) heads shall not release such information to the public. This section is not authority to withhold information from Congress or any committee of Congress upon request of the chairman or ranking minority member.


## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. Probably should be followed by a comma.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 93–577, § 17, as added Pub. L. 94–187, title III, § 312, Dec. 31, 1975, 89 Stat. 1075; amended Pub. L. 109–58, title X, § 1009(b)(11), Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 936.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2005—Pub. L. 109–58, § 1009(b)(11)(A)–(C), (D)(ii), (E), substituted “Secretary shall” for “Administrator shall” wherever appearing, “research, development, and demonstration” for “Administrator’s research, development, and demonstration”, “Secretary determines” for “Administrator determines”, “the Secretary may acquire” for “he may acquire”, “Secretary by” for “Administrator by”, “Secretary directly” for “Administrator directly”, “Secretary for” for “Administrator for”, “the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission” for “the Federal Power Commission,”, and “Government Accountability Office” for “General Accounting Office”, struck out “the Federal Energy Administration,” after “the Federal Trade Commission,”, and inserted “or ranking minority member” before period at end.

Pub. L. 109–58, § 1009(b)(11)(D)(i), which directed the substitution of “section 1905 of title 18” for “section 1905 or title 18”, could not be executed because “section 1905 or title 18” does not appear in text.