National Energy Act
The National Energy Act of 1978 (NEA78) was a legislative response by the U.S. Congress to the 1973 energy crisis. It includes the following statutes:
- Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) (Pub. L. 95–617)
- Energy Tax Act (Pub. L. 95–618)
- National Energy Conservation Policy Act (NECPA) (Pub. L. 95–619)
- Power Plant and Industrial Fuel Use Act (Pub. L. 95–620)
- Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95–621)
The legislative initiative was introduced by President Carter. The package was a major step in the legislation of the energy field, both the supply and the demand side. The package has soon been followed by Energy Security Act, 8 acts signed by president Carter in 1980.[1] This sequel package addressed energy conservation and development of renewable energy sources.
The NEA78 and the "security" package established a framework for:
- Regulatory initiatives,
- Market-based initiatives,
- Energy efficiency programs,
- Tax incentives and disincentives,
- Energy conservation programs, and
- Alternative fuel programs.
Most of the market-based mechanisms have been retained in some form to the present, whereas command and control items have been abandoned.[2]
The next major step in energy legislation in the USA was the Energy Policy Act of 1992.
