Us Code § 3392 - Natural gas for essential industrial process and feedstock uses
Full text of Us Code United States Code § 3392 — Natural gas for essential industrial process and feedstock uses, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 3392. Natural gas for essential industrial process and feedstock uses
(a) General rule
The Secretary of Energy shall prescribe and make effective a rule which provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law (other than subsection (b)) and to the maximum extent practicable, no interstate pipeline may curtail deliveries of natural gas for any essential industrial process or feedstock use, unless such curtailment—
(1) does not reduce the quantity of natural gas delivered for such use below the use requirement specified in subsection (c);
(2) is necessary in order to meet the requirements of high-priority users; or
(3) is necessary in order to meet the requirements for essential agricultural uses of natural gas for which curtailment priority is established under section 3391 of this title.
(b) Curtailment priority applicable only if alternative fuel not available
The provisions of subsection (a) shall apply with respect to any curtailment of deliveries for any essential industrial process or feedstock use only if the Commission determines that use of a fuel (other than natural gas) is not economically practicable and that no fuel is reasonably available as an alternative for such use.
(c) Determination of essential industrial use requirements
The Secretary of Energy shall determine and certify to the Commission the natural gas requirements (expressed either as volumes or percentages of use) of persons (or classes thereof) for essential industrial process and feedstock uses (other than those referred to in section 3391(f)(1)(B) of this title).
(d) Definitions
For purposes of this section—
(1) Essential industrial process or feedstock use
The term "essential industrial process or feedstock use" means any use of natural gas in an industrial process or as a feedstock which the Secretary determines is essential.
(2) High-priority user
The term "high-priority user" has the same meaning as given such term in section 3391(f)(2) of this title.
(Pub. L. 95–621, title IV, §402, Nov. 9, 1978, 92 Stat. 3395.)
About This Section
15 U.S.C. § 3392 is part of Title 15 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.
This section may be cited in legal writing as 15 U.S.C. § 3392. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.
How to Read This Statute
Statutes are organized by title, chapter, section, and subsection. Pay attention to words like "shall," "may," "and," and "or," because they determine whether a requirement is mandatory or permissive and whether multiple conditions must all be met. Historical notes and amendments often appear at the end of a section.
Using This Page
This page is intended for research and educational use. Lawyers, students, journalists, and compliance professionals can use it as a starting point, but should always verify the current text through an official government source before relying on it for legal advice, filings, or compliance decisions.