Research Guides: Energy Law & Policy: Laws & Regulations

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When a law is passed, it is first published as a Session Law. Eventually it is reworked into a subject arrangement of the law which is called a code. Most researchers will make use of an annotated version of the code which often cites to case law, secondary sources, other relevant statutes and regulations that will help you with your research.

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Laws

U.S. energy laws are codified in several titles of the United States Code including Titles 7, 10, 12, 15, 16, 19, 26, 31, 42, 43 & 50. Sources include:

Federal Statutes

Regulations

Regulations pertaining to energy law are scattered in various titles of the Code of Federal Regulations. They relate to oil, gas, wind, solar, nuclear, electricity, water and public utilities. Sources of federal regulations include:

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) annual edition is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the departments and agencies of the Federal Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. The 50 subject matter titles contain one or more individual volumes, which are updated once each calendar year, on a staggered basis. The annual update cycle is as follows: titles 1-16 are revised as of January 1; titles 17-27 are revised as of April 1; titles 28-41 are revised as of July 1; and titles 42-50 are revised as of October 1. Each title is divided into chapters, which usually bear the name of the issuing agency. Each chapter is further subdivided into parts that cover specific regulatory areas. Large parts may be subdivided into subparts. All parts are organized in sections, and most citations to the CFR refer to material at the section level.
Federal Register (FR)
The Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents. It is updated daily by 6 a.m. and is published Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
List of CFR Sections Affected (LSA)
The List of CFR Sections Affected lists proposed, new, and amended Federal regulations that have been published in the Federal Register since the most recent revision date of a CFR title. Each LSA issue is cumulative and contains the CFR part and section numbers, a description of its status (e.g., amended, confirmed, revised), and the Federal Register page number where the change(s) may be found.

CRS Reports (Library of Congress Public Edition)
CRS Reports provide extensive background information on the development of legislative issues. Published by the Congressional Research Service¸ members of Congress and their staff rely on CRS Reports to inform and shape their understanding of the issues¸ now available in this database. CRS Reports offers the most comprehensive collection available¸ dating to 1993.
Coverage: 1993-Present