National Fuels and Energy Conservation Act

(LATEST SUMMARY)

National Fuels and Energy Conservation Act - Declares it to be the purpose of Congress to establish a Council on Energy Policy to serve as a focal point for the collection and interpretation of energy data, coordination of energy activities of the Federal Government, and for the provision of leadership to State and local governments, and for the preparation of a long-range energy plan for energy development and use.

Requires Federal agencies to submit to such Council all legislative proposals involving energy matters.

Establishes such council in the Executive Office of the President, composed of three members, who shall advise the President on energy policy and energy issues. Directs the Council to develop a long-range energy plan within 18 months after enactment of this Act, which shall be annually updated. Prohibits Council members or employees from refusing to testify before Congress.

Empowers the Council to require any person to submit such energy data as it prescribes.

Requires the energy plan to include estimates of needs, supplies, prices and new sources.

Directs the Comptroller General to monitor and evaluate the operations of the Council including its reporting requirements.

Authorizes appropriations to carry out the above purposes of $1,000,000 for fiscal year 1974, $2,000,000 for fiscal year 1975 and $4,000,000 for each fiscal year thereafter.

Establishes in the Department of the Interior the Office of Energy Conservation which shall have a Director appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Provides that the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Office, shall: (1) work with the Council on Environmental Quality in developing new energy conservation initiatives for the Federal Government; (2) cooperate with private industry in developing energy conservation programs in industry; and (3) provide assistance to State governments in developing State energy conservation programs.

Authorizes appropriations of $8,000,000 for each of the three fiscal years following enactment of this Act for the Secretary of Commerce to establish within the National Bureau of Standards an energy conservation research and development program to stimulate new or improved manufacturing and industrial processes, better building construction, materials, and techniques.

Authorizes $4,000,000 for each of the three years following enactment for the Secretary of the Interior to establish development and testing centers for more efficient equipment for transmission of electrical energy.

Authorizes appropriations of $5,000,000 for the three fiscal years following enactment to the Secretary of Agriculture to establish within the Agricultural Research Service a food and fiber energy conservation and efficiency program to be conducted through selected land grant colleges in cooperation with the Agricultural Extension Service.

Requires Federal agencies to construct and renovate major Federal facilities so as to employ energy conservation design. Requires such agencies to obtain complete life-cycle cost analysis for major facilities, including an energy consumption analysis.

Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to develop improved design, lighting, and insulation standards to promote efficient energy use in residential, commercial and industrial buildings.

Declares the intent of Congress to assure through a uniform system meaningful disclosure of operating costs of various products, so that consumers can compare and avoid purchasing those which unnecessarily waste energy.

Directs the Federal Trade Commission to require makers and importers of energy consuming household products to report, in a notice accompanying each such product, the energy use per average use cycle. Requires the Commission to develop and disseminate information to manufacturers on computing costs of energy for use of such products. Requires manufacturers to disseminate with each such product annual operating costs.

Prohibits the sale of such products, after the elapse of six months from adoption of procedures for determining annual operating costs, unless such costs are disclosed at the sale of each such product, and prohibits advertising of such products if such advertising does not reveal operating costs. Classifies violations of such requirements as unfair or deceptive practices, subject to proceedings under the Federal Trade Commission Act.

Automobile Fuel Economy Act - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish, within 18 months after enactment, a minimum fuel economy standard for new automobiles during and after the 1978 model year, which represents an orderly progression toward a 50 percent reduction in fuel use by 1984.

Requires manufacturers of motor vehicles to conduct tests and make such reports as the Secretary may require for the purpose of establishing such standards.

Requires that all motor vehicles sold or manufactured in the United States shall bear a label stating the degree of fuel use. Prohibits the advertisement of such vehicles unless the advertisement states the degree of fuel use.

Sets civil and criminal penalties for violations of such requirements.

Authorizes appropriations through 1976 to carry out the provisions of this Act relating to automobiles.

Directs the Federal Power Commission to Promulgate regulations requiring electric and gas public utilities to submit to the Commission annual reports on energy conservation policies.

Directs each agency of the Federal Government engaged in the sale of electrical energy to submit to the Congress a study of the impact of the rate structure of such agency on the consumption and conservation of energy.

Directs the Secretary of Transportation to submit a report to Congress in nine months on the potential for energy conservation in the transportation sector.

Automotive Transport Research and Development Act - Directs the Secretary to insure development of one or more production prototypes of an advanced automobile within 4 years after the date of enactment of this title. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants, guarantee loans and enter in contracts for such purposes. Authorizes $200,000,000 for such loan guarantee purposes.

Requires the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator to test each such production prototype automobile to determine its exhaust emission compliance. Requires the Secretary to test such prototypes for compliance with safety requirements.

Provides that all information resulting from such prototype research sponsored by the Federal Government, whether patented or unpatented, shall be made public.

Authorizes $30,000,000 for fiscal year 1974, $50,000,000 for fiscal year 1975 and $60,000,000 for fiscal year 1976 for such prototype development purposes.

Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make contracts, grants or other payments for research and development, and establishment and operation of demonstration projects to determine feasibility of programs to conserve energy utilized in transportation of individuals, including fare-free urban mass transportation systems. Limits the Federal share to 80 percent of costs of such grants or contracts. Authorizes appropriations for such purpose through fiscal 1976.

Directs the Secretary to approve projects designed to encourage carpools.

Requires the Secretary of Treasury to study the feasibility of tax modifications designed to encourage energy conservation.

Requires any product offered for import into the United States to meet the applicable requirements of this Act as a condition of such importation.

Authorizes for each fiscal year such additional sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of the Act.

States it to be the sense of Congress that the President should reduce Federal Government fuel consumption by one-third.