The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission administers policies, programs, and procedures to ensure compliance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) , 5 U.S.C. § 552, and the Privacy Act (PA) , 5 U.S.C. § 552a, as amended.
Under FOIA any person has the right to request public access to federal agency records or information. The agency must release the records upon receiving a written request unless the records fall within the nine exemptions and three exclusions outlined in the Act.
The PA is a companion to the FOIA, which establishes a presumption that any person has the right to request access to records in the possession of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government. The PA and the FOIA have different procedures and exemptions. Consequently, information that is exempt from disclosure under one Act maybe disclosable under the other. The PA allows individuals to learn how the Federal Government collects, maintains, uses, and disseminates records containing personal information. It also safeguards confidentiality by limiting or restricting disclosure of personally identifiable records maintained by Federal agencies. The PA allows individuals to gain access to their own personal records (unless the requested records are exempted from disclosure) and to seek correction or amendment of Federally maintained records that are inaccurate, incomplete, untimely, or irrelevant.
Status of FOIA Request: The Commission’s FOIA Service Center is the first place a FOIA requester may come to seek information concerning the status of FOIA request and appropriate information about the agency’s FOIA response Service Center
Reading Room Materials: The Commission's FOIA Reading Room contains easy access to such things as orders, policy statements, manuals, and frequently requests materials. Read More