---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 8513"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "8513"
heading: "Standby Federal conservation plan"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/8513"
units:
  - "Chapter 93 — Emergency Energy Conservation"
  - "Subchapter I — Emergency Energy Conservation Program"
---

# §8513. Standby Federal conservation plan

- (a) **Establishment of standby conservation plan—**
  - (1) Within 90 days after November 5, 1979, the [Secretary](/usc/42/8502.md?p=6), in accordance with [section 7191 of this title](/usc/42/7191.md), shall establish a standby Federal emergency conservation plan. The [Secretary](/usc/42/8502.md?p=6) may amend such plan at any time, and shall make such amendments public upon their adoption.
  - (2) The plan under this section shall be consistent with the attainment of the objectives of section 753(b)(1)[^1] of title 15, and shall provide for the emergency reduction in the public and private use of each energy source for which an emergency conservation target is in effect or may be in effect under [section 8511 of this title](/usc/42/8511.md).
- (b) **Implementation of standby conservation plan—**
  - (1) If the President finds—
    - (A) after a reasonable period of operation, but not less than 90 days, that a [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8) emergency conservation plan approved and implemented under [section 8512 of this title](/usc/42/8512.md) is not substantially meeting a conservation target established under [section 8511(a) of this title](/usc/42/8511.md?p=a) for such [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8) and it is likely that such target will continue to be unmet; and
    - (B) a shortage exists or is likely to exist in such [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8) for the 60-day period beginning after such finding that is equal to or greater than 8 percent of the projected normal demand, as determined by the President, for an energy source for which such conservation target has been established under [section 8511(a) of this title](/usc/42/8511.md?p=a);

    then the President shall, after consultation with the [Governor](/usc/42/8502.md?p=7) of such [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8), make effective in such [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8) all or any part of the standby Federal conservation plan established under [subsection (a)](#a) for such period or periods as the President determines appropriate to achieve the target in that [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8).

  - (2) If the President finds after a reasonable period of time, that the conservation target established under [section 8511(a) of this title](/usc/42/8511.md?p=a) is not being substantially met and it is likely that such target will continue to be unmet in a [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8) which—
    - (A) has no emergency conservation plan approved under [section 8512 of this title](/usc/42/8512.md); or
    - (B) the President finds has substantially failed to carry out the assurances regarding implementation set forth in the plan approved under [section 8512 of this title](/usc/42/8512.md),

    then the President shall, after consultation with the [Governor](/usc/42/8502.md?p=7) of such [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8), make effective in such [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8) all or any part of the standby Federal conservation plan established under [subsection (a)](#a) for such period or periods as the President determines appropriate to achieve the target in that [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8).

- (c) **Basis for findings—** Any finding under [subsection (b)](#b) shall be accompanied by such information and analysis as is necessary to provide a basis therefor and shall be available to the Congress and the public.
- (d) **Submission of State emergency conservation plan—**
  - (1) [^2] The [Governor](/usc/42/8502.md?p=7) of a [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8) in which all or any portion of the standby Federal conservation plan is or will be in effect may submit at any time a [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8) emergency conservation plan, and if it is approved under [section 8512(c) of this title](/usc/42/8512.md?p=c), all or such portion of the standby Federal conservation plan shall cease to be effective in that [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8). Nothing in this paragraph shall affect any action or pending proceedings, administrative or civil, not finally determined on such date, nor any administrative or civil action or proceeding, whether or not pending, based upon any act committed or liability incurred prior to such cessation of effectiveness.
- (e) **State substitute emergency conservation measures—**
  - (1) After the President makes all or any part of the standby Federal conservation plan effective in any [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8) or political subdivision under [subsection (b)](#b), the [Secretary](/usc/42/8502.md?p=6) shall provide procedures whereby such [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8) or any political subdivision thereof may submit to the [Secretary](/usc/42/8502.md?p=6) for approval one or more measures under authority of [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8) or local law to be implemented by such [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8) or political subdivision and to be substituted for any Federal measure in the Federal plan. The measures may include provisions whereby [persons](/usc/42/8502.md?p=4) affected by such Federal measure are permitted to use alternative means of conserving at least as much energy as would be conserved by such Federal measure. Such measures shall provide effective procedures, as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/42/8502.md?p=6), for the approval and enforcement of such alternative means by such [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8) or by any political subdivision thereof.
  - (2) The [Secretary](/usc/42/8502.md?p=6) may approve the measures under [paragraph (1)](#e-1) if he finds—
    - (A) that such measures when in effect will conserve at least as much energy as would be conserved by such Federal measure which would have otherwise been in effect in such [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8) or political subdivision;
    - (B) such measures otherwise meet the requirements of this paragraph; and
    - (C) such measures would be approved under [section 8512(c)(1)(B)](/usc/42/8512.md?p=c-1-B), (C), and (D) of this title.
  - (3) If the [Secretary](/usc/42/8502.md?p=6) approves measures under this subsection such Federal measure shall cease to be effective in that [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8) or political subdivision. Nothing in this paragraph shall affect any action or pending proceedings, administrative or civil, not finally determined on the date the Federal measure ceases to be effective in that [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8) or political subdivision, nor any administrative or civil action or proceeding, whether or not pending, based upon any act committed or liability incurred prior to such cessation of effectiveness.
  - (4) If the [Secretary](/usc/42/8502.md?p=6) finds after a reasonable period of time that the requirements of this subsection are not being met under the measures in effect under this subsection he may reimpose the Federal measure referred to in [paragraph (1)](#e-1).
- (f) **State authority to administer plan—** At the request of the [Governor](/usc/42/8502.md?p=7) of any [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8), the President may provide that the administration and enforcement of all or a portion of the standby Federal conservation plan made effective in that [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8) under [subsection (b)](#b) be in accordance with [section 8512(d)(1)](/usc/42/8512.md?p=d-1), (2), and (4) of this title.
- (g) **Presidential authority not to be delegated—** Notwithstanding any other provision of law (other than [subsection (f)](#f)), the authority vested in the President under this section may not be delegated.
- (h) **Requirements of plan—** The plan established under [subsection (a)](#a) shall—
  - (1) taken as a whole, be designed so that the plan, if implemented, would be likely to achieve the emergency conservation target under [section 8511 of this title](/usc/42/8511.md) for which it would be implemented,
  - (2) taken as a whole, be designed so as not to impose an unreasonably disproportionate share of the burden of restrictions on energy use on any specific class of industry, business, or commercial enterprise, or any individual segment thereof, and
  - (3) not contain any measure which the [Secretary](/usc/42/8502.md?p=6) finds—
    - (A) is inconsistent with any otherwise applicable Federal law (including any rule or regulation under such law),
    - (B) is an undue burden on interstate commerce,
    - (C) is a tax, tariff, or user fee, or
    - (D) is a program for the assignment of rights for end-user purchases of gasoline or diesel fuel, as described in section 6263(a)(1)(A) and (B)[^1] of this title.
- (i) **Plan may not authorize weekend closings of retail gasoline stations—**
  - (1) Except as provided in [paragraph (2)](#i-2), the plan established under [subsection (a)](#a) may not provide for the restriction of hours of sale of [motor fuel](/usc/42/8502.md?p=3) at retail at any time between Friday noon and Sunday midnight.
  - (2) [Paragraph (1)](#i-1) shall not preclude the restriction on such hours of sale if that restriction occurs in connection with a program for restricting hours of sale of [motor fuel](/usc/42/8502.md?p=3) each day of the week on a rotating basis.
- (j) **Civil penalties—**
  - (1) Whoever violates the requirements of such a plan implemented under [subsection (b)](#b) shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000 for each [violation](/usc/42/2000e–16a.md?p=c).
  - (2) Any penalty under [paragraph (1)](#j-1) may be assessed by the court in any action brought in any appropriate United States district court or any other court of competent jurisdiction. Except to the extent provided under [paragraph (3)](#j-3), any such penalty collected shall be deposited into the general fund of the United States Treasury as miscellaneous receipts.
  - (3) The [Secretary](/usc/42/8502.md?p=6) may enter into an agreement with the [Governor](/usc/42/8502.md?p=7) of any [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8) under which amounts collected pursuant to this subsection may be collected and retained by the [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8) to the extent necessary to cover costs incurred by that [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8) in connection with the administration and enforcement of that portion of the standby Federal conservation plan for which authority is delegated to that [State](/usc/42/8502.md?p=8) under [subsection (f)](#f).

## Footnotes

[^1]: See References in Text note below.
[^2]: So in original. No par. (2) has been enacted.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 96–102, title II, § 213, Nov. 5, 1979, 93 Stat. 762.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 753 of title 15, referred to in subsec. (a)(2), was omitted from the Code pursuant to section 760g of Title 15, Commerce and Trade, which provided for the expiration of the President’s authority under that section on Sept. 30, 1981.

Section 6263 of this title, referred to in subsec. (h)(3)(D), was repealed by Pub. L. 106–469, title I, § 104(1), Nov. 9, 2000, 114 Stat. 2033.