
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 42USC6851]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
          CHAPTER 81--ENERGY CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE RENEWAL
 
 SUBCHAPTER III--ENERGY CONSERVATION AND RENEWABLE-RESOURCE ASSISTANCE 
                         FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS
 
Sec. 6851. Congressional findings and purpose

    (a) The Congress finds that--
        (1) the fastest, most cost-effective, and most environmentally 
    sound way to prevent future energy shortages in the United States, 
    while reducing the Nation's dependence on imported energy supplies, 
    is to encourage and facilitate, through major programs, the 
    implementation of energy conservation and renewable-resource energy 
    measures with respect to dwelling units, nonresidential buildings, 
    and industrial plants;
        (2) current efforts to encourage and facilitate such measures 
    are inadequate as a consequence of--
            (A) a lack of adequate and available financing for such 
        measures, particularly with respect to individual consumers and 
        owners of small businesses;
            (B) a shortage of reliable and impartial information and 
        advisory services pertaining to practicable energy conservation 
        measures and renewable-resource energy measures and the cost 
        savings that are likely if they are implemented in such units, 
        buildings, and plants; and
            (C) the absence of organized programs which, if they 
        existed, would enable consumers, especially individuals and 
        owners of small businesses, to undertake such measures easily 
        and with confidence in their economic value;

        (3) major programs of financial incentives and assistance for 
    energy conservation measures and renewable-resource energy measures 
    in dwelling units, nonresidential buildings, and industrial plants 
    would--
            (A) significantly reduce the Nation's demand for energy and 
        the need for petroleum imports;
            (B) cushion the adverse impact of the high price of energy 
        supplies on consumers, particularly elderly and handicapped low-
        income persons who cannot afford to make the modifications 
        necessary to reduce their residential energy use; and
            (C) increase, directly and indirectly, job opportunities and 
        national economic output;

        (4) the primary responsibility for the implementation of such 
    major programs should be lodged with the governments of the States; 
    the diversity of conditions among the various States and regions of 
    the Nation is sufficiently great that a wholly federally 
    administered program would not be as effective as one which is 
    tailored to meet local requirements and to respond to local 
    opportunities; the State should be allowed flexibility within which 
    to fashion such programs, subject to general Federal guidelines and 
    monitoring sufficient to protect the financial investments of 
    consumers and the financial interest of the United States and to 
    insure that the measures undertaken in fact result in significant 
    energy and cost savings which would probably not otherwise occur;
        (5) to the extent that direct Federal administration is more 
    economical and efficient, direct Federal financial incentives and 
    assistance should be extended through existing and proven Federal 
    programs rather than through new programs that would necessitate new 
    and separate administrative bureaucracies; and
        (6) such programs should be designed and administered to 
    supplement, and not to supplant or in any other way conflict with, 
    State energy conservation programs under part C of title III of the 
    Energy Policy and Conservation Act [42 U.S.C. 6321 et seq.]; the 
    emergency energy conservation program carried out by community 
    action agencies pursuant to section 2809(a)(12) \1\ of this title; 
    and other forms of assistance and encouragement for energy 
    conservation.
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    \1\ See References in Text note below.

    (b) It is, therefore, the purpose of this subchapter to encourage 
and facilitate the implementation of energy conservation measures and 
renewable-resource energy measures in dwelling units, nonresidential 
buildings, and industrial plants, through--
        (1) supplemental State energy conservation plans; and
        (2) Federal financial incentives and assistance.

(Pub. L. 94-385, title IV, Sec. 402, Aug. 14, 1976, 90 Stat. 1150.)

                       References in Text

    The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, referred to in subsec. 
(a)(5), is Pub. L. 94-163, Dec. 22, 1975, 89 Stat. 871, as amended. Part 
C of title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act is classified 
generally to part B (Sec. 6321 et seq.) of subchapter III of chapter 77 
of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see 
Short Title note set out under section 6201 of this title and Tables.
    Section 2809(a)(12) of this title, referred to in subsec. (a)(6), 
which was redesignated as section 2809(a)(5) by Pub. L. 95-568, 
Sec. 5(a)(2)(E), Nov. 2, 1978, 92 Stat. 2426, was subsequently repealed 
by Pub. L. 97-35, title VI, Sec. 683(a), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 519.
    This subchapter, referred to in subsec. (b), was in the original 
``this title,'' meaning title IV of Pub. L. 94-385, known as the Energy 
Conservation in Existing Buildings Act of 1976, which enacted this 
subchapter, section 6327 of this title, and section 1701z-8 of Title 12, 
Banks and Banking, amended sections 6323, 6325, and 6326 of this title, 
and enacted provisions set out as a note under section 6801 of this 
title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short 
Title note set out under section 6801 of this title and Tables.


                               Short Title

    For short title of title IV of Pub. L. 94-385, which is classified 
principally to this subchapter, as the ``Energy Conservation in Existing 
Buildings Act of 1976'', see section 401 of Pub. L. 94-385, set out as a 
note under section 6801 of this title.


                            Cross References

    Energy conservation in Federal buildings, see section 8251 et seq. 
of this title.
    Residential energy conservation, see section 8211 et seq. of this 
title.
