Executive Order 12185—Conservation of Petroleum and Natural Gas

By the authority vested in me as President of the United States of America by Section 403(b) of the Power plant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978 (92 Stat. 3318; Public Law 95-620) and Section 301 of Title 3 of the United States Code, in order to encourage additional conservation of petroleum and natural gas by recipients of Federal financial assistance, it is hereby ordered as follows:

1-101. Each Federal agency, as that term is defined in Section 103(a) (25) of the Power plant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978 (92 Stat. 3297), shall effectuate through its financial assistance programs the purposes of that Act relating to the conservation of petroleum and natural

gas.

1-102. Each Federal agency which extends financial assistance shall review those programs of financial assistance and identify those which are most likely to offer opportunities for significant conservation of petroleum and natural gas.

1-103. Within two months, and annually thereafter, each agency shall publish for comment a list of those programs which it has identified as likely to offer significant opportunity for conservation. The public shall be given 60 days to submit comments, including suggestions for rules which would effectuate the conservation purposes of the Act.

1-104. After receiving public comment and suggestions, and after consulting with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, each agency shall publish proposed rules designed to achieve conservation of petroleum and natural gas in connection with the receipt of financial assistance.

Proposed rules should be published within 30 days of the close of the comment period under Section 1-103.

1-105. Final rules shall be adopted by each .agency in accordance with the provisions of Sections 102(b), 403(b) and 701 (a) of the Power plant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978, and the provisions of this Order, not later than 180 days from the date of this Order.

1-106. No one shall be awarded any financial assistance unless that award complies with the provisions of the conservation rules adopted by the agency pursuant to this Order.

1-107. To the extent permitted by law and where not inconsistent with the financial assistance program, final rules may provide for the reduction or suspension of financial assistance under any award. Such reduction or suspension shall not be ordered until there has been an opportunity for a hearing on the record, and shall last for such time .as the recipient fails to comply with the terms of the conservation rule.

1-108. No conservation rule shall be adopted which is inconsistent with the statutory provisions establishing the financial assistance program.

1-109. No conservation rule shall be used to enforce compliance with any prohibition under the Act against any person or facility which has been specifically determined by the Secretary of Energy as subject to or exempt from a prohibition under the Act. The conservation rules shall be used to enforce other new ways of achieving the purposes of the Act related to the conservation of petroleum and natural gas.

1-110. In order to assess the effectiveness of this program, each agency shall annually prepare a report on its activities in accord with Section 403(b) (1) (B) of the Act. These reports shall be submitted to the President through the Secretary of Energy.

1-111. The Secretary of Energy shall prepare for the President's consideration and transmittal to the Congress the report required by Section 403(c) of the Act.

1-112. The Director of the Office of Management and Budget may issue any rules, regulations, or orders he deems necessary to ensure the implementation of this Order. The Director may exercise any of the authority vested in the President by Section 403(b) of the Act, and may redelegate such of that authority as he deems appropriate to the head of any other agency.

JIMMY CARTER

The White House,

December 17, 1979.

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:40 a.m., December 18, 1979]