§ 7276 — Regulations To Require Integrated Resource Planning

(a) Within 1 year after October 24, 1992, the Administrator shall, by regulation, revise the Final Amended Guidelines and Acceptance Criteria for Customer Conservation and Renewable Energy Programs published in the Federal Register on August 21, 1985 (50 F.R. 33892), or any subsequent amendments thereto, to require each customer purchasing electric energy under a long-term firm power service contract with the Western Area Power Administration to implement, within 3 years after October 24, 1992, integrated resource planning in accordance with the requirements of sections 7275 to 7276c of this title. (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), for customers with total annual energy sales or usage of 25 Gigawatt Hours or less which are not members of a joint action agency or a generation and transmission cooperative with power supply responsibility, the Administrator may establish different regulations and apply such regulations to customers that the Administrator finds have limited economic, managerial, and resource capability to conduct integrated resource planning. The regulations under this subsection shall require such customers to consider all reasonable opportunities to meet their future energy service requirements using demand-side techniques, new renewable resources and other programs that will provide retail customers with electricity at the lowest possible cost, and minimize, to the extent practicable, adverse environmental effects.