15 U.S.C. § 771 - Comptroller General, powers and duties

• Cite as: 15 U.S.C. § 771

(a) Scope of activities; monitoring activity; data to Comptroller General from Administration; reports and recommendations to Congress

For the duration of this chapter, the Comptroller General of the United States shall monitor and evaluate the operations of the Administration including its reporting activities. The Comptroller General shall (1) conduct studies of existing statutes and regulations governing the Administration's programs; (2) review the policies and practices of the Administration; (3) review and evaluate the procedures followed by the Administrator in gathering, analyzing, and interpreting energy statistics, data, and information related to the management and conservation of energy, including but not limited to data related to energy costs, supply, demand, industry structure, and environmental impacts; and (4) evaluate particular projects or programs. The Comptroller General shall have access to such data within the possession or control of the Administration from any public or private source whatever, notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, as are necessary to carry out his responsibilities under this chapter and shall report to the Congress at such times as he deems appropriate with respect to the Administration's programs, including his recommendations for modifications in existing laws, regulations, procedures, and practices.

(b) Access to material and written energy information from owners or operators of facilities or business premises engaged in energy matters; scope of information

The Comptroller General or any of his authorized representatives in carrying out his responsibilities under this section may request access to any books, documents, papers, statistics, data, records, and information of any person owning or operating facilities or business premises who is engaged in any phase of energy supply or major energy consumption, where such material relates to the purposes of this chapter, including but not limited to energy costs, demand, supply, industry structure, and environmental impacts. The Comptroller General may request such person to submit in writing such energy information as the Comptroller General may prescribe.

(c) Access to material and information from recipients of Federal funds or assistance under Federal transactions

The Comptroller General of the United States, or any of his duly authorized representatives, shall have access to and the right to examine any books, documents, papers, records, or other recorded information of any recipients of Federal funds or assistance under contracts, leases, cooperative agreements, or other transactions entered into pursuant to subsection (d) or (g) of section 766 ¹ of this title which in the opinion of the Comptroller General may be related or pertinent to such contracts, leases, cooperative agreements, or similar transactions.