Federal Energy Administration Research Articles

U.S. Department of Energy's Role in the Energy‐Water Nexus

The Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977 (DOE 1977) combined the Federal Energy Administration, the Energy Research and Development Administration, the Federal Power Commission, the nuclear weapons program, and portions of energy-related programs from other Federal agencies into a single agency, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). DOE’s goal is to promote the development and use of reliable, clean, and affordable energy in an environmentally responsible manner, and to maintain a comprehensive, national, strategic energy plan.

The Evolution of Energy Modeling at the Federal Energy Administration and the Energy Information Administration

Energy modeling at the Energy Information Administration started with the Project Independence Evaluation System in 1974 and moved to the Intermediate Future Forecasting System in 1983, which was replaced by the National Energy Modeling System in 1993. The models were shaped by the forces affecting energy markets and by policy concerns. These forces included changing world markets for oil, shortages of natural gas, and environmental concerns. The models have been used to analyze legislative proposals, and these analyses have met with a variety of reactions that ranged from extreme gratitude to rage. Working as policy analysts when energy issues were at the center of national attention was exciting, exhausting, rewarding, and at times dismaying.

O'Leary confirmed as DOE secretary

On January 21, the U.S. Senate approved the nomination of Hazel R. O'Leary as the new secretary of energy. This vote came just 2 days after O'Leary appeared before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.O'Leary, 55, has been executive vice president for corporate affairs at the Minnesota‐based Northern States Power Company. During the Carter administration, she worked in a senior position at the Federal Energy Administration.

An analytical history of EIA

This article traces the development of the Energy Information Administration (EIA) from 1974, the inception of its precursor, an office within the Federal Energy Administration, to its current form as an independent agency within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). EIA amalgamated the energy-related activities of over 50 separate agencies, when it was chartered in DOE in 1977, “to collect, evaluate, assemble, and analyze energy information....” Six tensions have characterized the agency during its history: data quality, the role of modeling, confidentiality of data, resources and requirements, the independence of EIA, and timeliness vs. accuracy.

Measuring Equity in Regulatory Policy Implementation

Today's conventional wisdom asserts that, on balance, the social and economic regulatory policies adopted by the United States from the 1930s through the 1970s have not succeeded. Although evidence can be found to lend support to this argument, analysis of the policy process and its consequences must take into account a serious caveat: major problems remain in our efforts to develop and apply valid and reliable measures of success or failure. I Any single criterion is not likely to evaluate comprehensively such complex phenomena. Moreover, despite repeated calls for the use of multiple criteria and for broad concepts of performance, most analyses limit their scope to a single standard-economic efficiency.' Even the analysis of highly controversial policy issues, such as the debate over deregulation of the petroleum industry, seldom has attempted to incorporate an equity criterion.3 The literature assessing the policies of the Federal Energy Administration (FEA) is typical in this regard. Consensus that the FEA's mandatory fuel allocation and pricing programs were a failure rests almost entirely upon the conclusion that these rules lead to substantial inefficiencies in both the public and private sectors. With few exceptions, the distributional dimensions of FEA policies have been downplayed in analyses of oil pricing and allocation decisions. Beyond some general comments regarding the importance of equity, the decontrol debate relied almost exclusively upon economic efficiency as its evaluative criterion.4 This is especially ironic given the strong equity rationale for the creation of the FEA. Our research responds to this orthodoxy by evaluating the performance of the FEA over the post-embargo period between 1973 and 1976, according to two criteria of equity. In doing so, we focus on whether administrative rulemaking and rule adjudication in a bureaucratic setting characterized by broad allocations of discretionary authority coupled with highly technical, legislative and executive mandates along the lines of the New Deal model can succeed in the face of strong pressures from private interests.5 We also assess the relative roles of procedural and substantive factors in the attempt to maximize equity in the regulatory process.

The Nonnuclear Alvin Weinberg

To honor Alvin Weinberg for his role as one of the key architects of the nuclear age, it seems appropriate to include a brief account of his involvement in nonnuclear activities. The time span covered includes two critical periods for energy policy-1973, immediately prior to the oil embargo and 1974 to 1975, the most traumatic years of the period immediately following the embargo. The first period is illustrated by Weinberg's involvement with the Club of Rome and the second period by his service as head of the Energy Research and Development Office of the Federal Energy Administration. His far-sighted views on energy and natural resource policy at that time are contrasted with the perceptions of others who were seeking radical technological and institutional solutions for crises that, in the end, were solved by the interplay of market forces and evolutionary progress in energ supply and conservation, and the use of natural resources.

An Econometric Analysis of Residential Electric Appliance Holdings and Consumption

Recent micro-simulation studies of the demand for clectricity hy residences have attempted to modlel jointly the demand for appliance and the denmanid for by appliance. Within this context it becomes important to test the statistical exogeneity of appliance dummy variables typically included in demand for equations. If, as the theory would suggest, the demand for durables and their use are related decisions by the consumer, specifications which ignore this fact will lead to biased and inconsistent estimates of price and income elasticities. The present paper attempts to test this bias using a subsample of the 1975 survey of 3249 households carried out by the Washington Center for Metropolitan Studies (WCMS) for the Federal Energy Administration. We discuss and derive a unified model of the demand for consumer durables and the derived demand for electricity. To determine the magnitude of the bias resulting from estimating a unit electricity consumption (UEC) equation bv ordinary least squares when unobserved factors influence both choice of appliances and intensity of use. we intr-oduce and cstimate a joint water-heat space-heat choice model, and concluide with the consistent estimation and specification of demand for equations.

Net Effects of Government Intervention in Energy Markets

There have been several comprehensive studies of energy policy in the last few years, for example, Shurr (1979), Federal Energy Administration (1976), ERDA (1976), and the Ford Foundation (Landsberg, 1978). Unlike these studies of energy policies, this effort is not prescriptive. Rather, it measures the effects of a large set of policies on energy markets to provide an understanding of how government programs reinforce or offset one another.

Administrative Discretion in Energy Policy-Making: The Exceptions and Appeals Program of the Federal Energy Administration

Previous articleNext article No AccessResearch NotesAdministrative Discretion in Energy Policy-Making: The Exceptions and Appeals Program of the Federal Energy AdministrationJames L. Regens, and Robert W. RycroftJames L. Regens Search for more articles by this author , and Robert W. Rycroft Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Journal of Politics Volume 43, Number 3Aug., 1981 Sponsored by the Southern Political Science Association Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.2307/2130643 Views: 6Total views on this site Citations: 1Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright 1981 Southern Political Science AssociationPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Gregory F. Nemet, Peter Braden, Ed Cubero, Bickey Rimal Four decades of multiyear targets in energy policy: aspirations or credible commitments?, Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment 3, no.55 (Mar 2014): 522–533.https://doi.org/10.1002/wene.116

Caribbean Energy

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Additional informationNotes on contributorsCharles K. EbingerCharles K. Ebinger directs the CSIS Program on Energy and National Security. Prior to joining CSIS, he was vice-president of Conant and Associates, an international consulting firm specializing in energy and strategic raw materials. He also served as a foreign affairs officer at the Federal Energy Administration where he was responsible for Latin American and Caribbean affairs. An earlier draft of this article was originally presented as a background paper to the CSIS-Louisiana State University Conference on Energy and Security in the Caribbean Basin held in New Orleans in November 1980.

Elasticity of Factor Substitution in Cross-Section Production Functions

Petroleum Institute, Petroleum Facts and Figures, Washington, D.C., 1971. , Basic Petroleum Data Book, Washington, D.C., 1976. Burright, Burke, and John Enns, Econometric Models of the Demand for Motor Fuel, Rand Report R1561-NSF, Rand Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif., 1975. Chase Econometrics Assoc., Inc., Effect of Tax and Regulatory Alternatives on Car Sales and Gasoline Council on Environmental Quality, 1974. Dahl, Carol A., American Energy Consumption, 'Extravagant or Economical': A Study of Gasoline, Resources and Energy (forthcoming). , Refinery Mix in the U.S., Canada and the E.E.C.. manuscript, Wayne State University, 1979. Houthakker, Hendrik S., Phillip K. Verleger, Jr., and Dennis P. Sheehan, Dynamic Demand Analysis for Gasoline and Residential Electricity, Journal of Agricultural Economics 56 (May 1974), 412-418. Keck, Carol A., Nathan Erlbaum, Patricia L. Milic, and Michael Trentacost, Changes in Individual Travel Behavior during the Energy Crisis, 1973-1974, New York Department of Transportation, Planning and Research Bureau, Preliminary Research Report 67, New York, N.Y., 1974. Motor Vehicle Mfg. Assoc., Auto Facts and Figures, Detroit, MI., various years. Norling, Carol Dahl, Demand for Gasoline, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. Office of Energy Systems Passenger Car Use of Gasoline: Analysis of Policy Options, Federal Energy Administration, Washington, D.C., 1975. Ramsey, James, G. Rash, and B. Allen, An Analysis of the Private and Commercial Demand for Gasoline, this REVIEW 57 (Nov. 1975), 502-507. Sims, Christopher A., Money, Income, and Causality, The Economic Review 62 (Sept. 1972), 540-552. U.S. Department of Commerce, Business Statistics, Washington, D.C., various years. , Statistical Abstract of the United States, Washington, D.C., various years. , Survey of Current Business, National Income Accounts Supplement, Washington, D.C., various years. U.S. Department of Transportation, Highway Statistics Summary to 1965, Washington, D.C., 1965. , Highway Statistics, Washington, D.C., various years. U.S. Government Printing Office, Economic Report of the President, Washington, D.C., 1975. Wildhorn, Sorrel, Burke K. Burright, John H. Enns, and Thomas F. Kirkwood, How to Save Gasoline: Public Policy Alternatives for the Automobile, Rand Report R1560-NSF, Rand Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif. (1974).

Geotechnical study of an abandoned limestone mine for crude oil storage

The Ironton limestone mine in southern Ohio lies at a depth of approximately 150 m below the surface within the limestones of the Maxville (Mississippian) Formation. The mine was abandoned in 1970 after 60 years of operation. In 1976, the Federal Energy Administration awarded a contract to evaluate the potential of the mine for the storage of crude oil as a part of the U.S. Strategic Oil Storage Program. The paper reviews the geotechnical studies that were undertaken to assess the key questions of whether or not containment of the oil could be assured, and whether or not the mine would remain structurally stable over the life of the storage project.Piezometric data obtained from drilling investigations confirmed that the Maxville limestone, and the over- and underlying formations, were fully saturated. Although some lowering of piezometric levels had occurred over the mine workings, the measured hydrostatic pressures and calculated gradients were found to be sufficiently high to provide positive oil and vapor containment.Based upon in-mine mapping and simple computations, the stability of the mine was determined to be acceptable. It was concluded that bulk oil storage at Ironton mine is technically feasible with minimal costs for remedial geotechnical work.

National Strategic Crude Oil Storage in the Weeks Island Dome Salt Mine—Part I: Geotechnical Evaluation

This paper, the first in a series of two, presents the results of a geotechnical evaluation of the Weeks Island dome salt mine. The purpose of the evaluation was to confirm the suitability of the underground facility for the long-term storage of crude oil under the Federal Energy Administration’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve Program. The Weeks Island mine, currently operated by the Morton Salt Company, is located in a salt dome on the Gulf Coast south of New Iberia, Louisiana. The mine has two levels of workings, at depths of approximately 185 and 245 m (600 and 800 ft) with development by the room-and-pillar mining technique. Geologic features of interest within the mine include zones of vertical banding and folding, shear zones, and blowouts. Field testing indicated that the salt mass is, for all intents and purposes, impermeable. Brine and oil leaks and gas seeps were examined and thought to be localized phenomena that did not affect mine stability and should not affect crude oil containment. The 23-m- (75-ft-) high pillars are generally intact with minor to severe spalling, generally in older areas of the mine. The mine roof exhibits no signs of distress or failure. Based on the overall results of the geotechnical and rock mechanics evaluations, the existing salt mine facility at Weeks Island was certified as suitable for the long-term storage of crude oil.

National Strategic Crude Oil Storage in the Weeks Island Dome Salt Mine—Part II: Rock Mechanics Evaluation

This paper, the second in a series of two, presents the results of a rock mechanics evaluation of the Weeks Island dome salt mine. The purpose of the evaluation was to assess the structural stability of the old mine workings in conjunction with a proposed new deeper mine level during the use of the facility for the long-term storage of crude oil under the Federal Energy Administration’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve Program. The scope of the work involved laboratory testing of the strength and deformational characteristics of the rock salt; determination of a minimum web (or sill) thickness between the old workings (within which crude oil would be stored) and a proposed new mine level development below; and assessment of the effects of crude oil emplacement and withdrawal on the mine stability, as related to both the old workings and the proposed new mine level development. The finite element results, wherein use was made of the strength and deformation properties of the salt from the laboratory tests, indicated that a minimum sill thickness of 90 m (300 ft) should be maintained between the old mine workings and the new level development. Furthermore, the emplacement and withdrawl of crude oil from the old workings will have little influence on pillar and sill stabilities for the entire mine, including the proposed lower level development. The only noticeable effect could, perhaps, be obtained in the creep rate due to changing stress conditions.

Captain Power and Power Quiz: Two New Energy Education Programs

The Elementary SchoolJournal Volume 79, Number 5 o 1979 by The University of Chicago 0013-5984/79/7905-0005$00.95 In 1975 Federal Energy Administration, now Department of Energy, sponsored regional hearings around country to learn what schools were teaching about energy and what needs schools might fill in future. Educators at these meetings frequently expressed need for direction in developing energy education curricula. There were frequent complaints about the lack of useful classroom materials and . . . structured programs, and it was generally felt that major need was for a systematic approach to energy education, as opposed to present reliance on a Band-Aid technique (1). This report describes first two years of an energy education project that is intended to be responsive to concerns raised during hearings of Federal Energy Administration. To date, project has produced two classroom-tested energy education programs for more than two thousand primary and intermediate classrooms in San Diego area. Two similar secondary-level programs are being developed. Involved in project are school districts of area, San Diego Gas & Electric, and a number of specialists in development of educational products. This report is addressed to all interested in energy education, particularly groups that intend to develop their own programs.

The regional demand for fossil fuels by electric utilities

Uri N. D. (1979) The regional demand for fossil fuels by electric utilities, Reg. Studies 13, 191–198. There exists the possibility of interfuel substitution in the generation of electrical energy. The responsiveness of the demand for various fossil fuels by electric utilities given this economic fact is investigated. Using aggregate time series data for ten Federal Energy Administration regions, the results indicate that the responsiveness of the demand for coal, oil, and natural gas by electric utilities to relative price changes is significant. As expected, the demand for fossil fuel increases as the level of generation expands with the impact being proportionally spread over the fossil fuels. A most interesting result is the negative response of the demand for natural gas by electric utilities to changes in weather conditions. The probable reason for this is that electric utilities, based on current regulatory practices, are among the first to be curtailed should any supply shortfall occur.

A Human Factor Study of Individual Home Appliance Energy Use

For ten different kitchen ranges, forty-six different cooks prepared a standard 21 meal menu while the energy used by each cook was measured. The energy efficiency of each range was then determined and the ranges were rank-ordered in two ways—on the basis of measured range efficiency and energy actually used by cooks. In general, the higher the measured efficiency the lower the total energy use. This was an important result because it meant that the range efficiency test method to be required by Department of Energy (formerly Federal Energy Administration) regulations was a fair method for manufacturers to use. In addition to that result, large differences were noted in energy consumption by different cooks on the same range. The implications of those differences, and the need for further research about them will be discussed.

Energy conservation in the solvent extraction area1

AbstractBoth old and new ways to conserve energy are discussed. The old ideas are basic fundamentals and will save 14% ‐ the 1980 goal. Some present methods can be incorporated for additional savings. Thought must be given now to long range plans for energy savings in the future. Today, energy savings can and must be made by running the plandt as it now exists to its maximum efficiency. Suggestions in this paper should be reviewed and applied to your plant. Last of all, think energy conservation twenty‐four hous a day you wil then meet the Federal Energy Administration target of saving 14% energy in 1978 and not in 1980.

The Economic Impact of American Oil Dependency

Essay| August 01 1978 The Economic Impact of American Oil Dependency Roy A. Werner Roy A. Werner Legislative Assistant to United States Senator John Glenn Roy Werner has served as a foreign affairs officer with the Federal Energy Administration and on the staff of the Senate Interior (now Energy) Committee. He is the author of several articles dealing with the international aspects of oil politics. Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Current History (1978) 75 (438): 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1525/curh.1978.75.438.1 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Roy A. Werner; The Economic Impact of American Oil Dependency. Current History 1 August 1978; 75 (438): 1–4. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/curh.1978.75.438.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentCurrent History Search This content is only available via PDF. © 1978 by The Regents of the University of California1978 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

Regulatory Policy

Paul W. MacAvoy, ed., Ford Administration Papers on Regulatory ReformPaul W. MacAvoy, ed., Federal Energy Administration RegulationPaul W. MacAvoy and John W. Snow, eds., Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory ReformPaul W. MacAvoy and John W. Snow, eds., Regulation of Entry and Pricing in Truck TransportationPaul W. MacAvoy, ed., Deregulation of Cable TelevisionPaul W. MacAvoy, ed., Federal‐State Regulation of the Pricing and Marketing of InsurancePaul W. MacAvoy, ed., OSHA Safety Regulations