What Does the Energy Department's 2026 Regulatory Agenda Actually Contain?
The Department of Energy published a one-page notice in the Federal Register on August 14, 2026. The notice tells the public that DOE has submitted its portion of the government-wide 2026 Unified Agenda of regulatory and deregulatory actions.
A single page at 91 FR 52990 holds the notice. Document number 2026-16626 appears at the top. Jonathan Brightbill, General Counsel, signed it.
The Unified Agenda Is a Government-Wide Inventory
The Unified Agenda compiles upcoming and ongoing regulatory activity across every federal agency. Each entry includes a brief description of the rulemaking and a timetable for action. The list also captures regulatory actions completed since the previous agenda was published. DOE's contribution covers regulatory actions called for by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended, and programmatic needs of DOE offices.
Dissemination runs through the internet as the basic channel. Users query the database at www.reginfo.gov. DOE's Spring 2025 Agenda remains accessible there. Publication in the Federal Register is not automatic for every entry. The Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 602) mandates publication only for Agenda entries that require either a regulatory flexibility analysis or periodic review under section 610 of that Act.
Three Legal Instruments Shape This Filing
Executive Order 12866, titled "Regulatory Planning and Review," provides the foundational directive. The Regulatory Flexibility Act
The sources this article was written from
- "Federal Register, 91 FR 52990, Document 2026-16626
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/14/2026-16626/2026-regulatory-plan-and-unified-agenda-of-federal-regulatory-and-deregulatory-actions"