Energy Security: Federal Responses to December 1989 Heating Fuel Shortages Were Limited
RCED-91-78
Published: Feb 20, 1991. Publicly Released: Mar 13, 1991.
Skip to Highlights
Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined: (1) alleged December 1989 heating fuel shortages; (2) the type of data the Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Information Administration (EIA) collected and its analyses of heating fuel supply and demand; (3) the impact of federal agencies' delayed processing of Jones Act waivers on heating fuel supplies; and (4) the impact of interruptible natural gas contracts on heating fuel supplies and availability.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Energy | The Secretary of Energy should determine the costs and benefits of collecting information on secondary inventory data, including whether those data are needed to satisfy DOE responsibilities under the memorandum of understanding on Jones Act waivers. |
Closed – Not Implemented
DOE believes that the costs of collecting secondary inventory information will be excessively high and, besides placing a burden on many small companies, the data would be outdated before the results are disseminated. Accordingly, it will continue carrying out its responsibilities under the Jones Act by obtaining the data from state and other sources as it has in the past.
|
| Department of Energy | The Secretary of Energy should work with the Secretary of the Treasury to clarify, either administratively or legislatively if necessary, whether DOE will need to show that defense installations and suppliers are affected in order to satisfy the national defense criterion for granting waivers. |
Closed – Implemented
DOE implemented the GAO recommendation by agreeing with Treasury that circumstances can exist in which the Secretary of Treasury may make the "national defense" finding without evidence of direct oil supply impact on defense installations or suppliers. These determinations must be based on the specifics of a particular situation.
|
Full Report
Office of Public Affairs
Topics
Data collectionEnergy consumptionEnergy shortagesFuel gas industryFuel suppliesInteragency relationsMarine transportationNatural gas supply shortagesWaiversHeating