16 U.S.C. § 2631 — Intervention in proceedings

(a) Authority to intervene and participate In order to initiate and participate in the consideration of one or more of the standards established by subchapter II or other concepts which contribute to the achievement of the purposes of this chapter, the Secretary, any affected electric utility, or any electric consumer of an affected electric utility can intervene and participate as a matter of right in any ratemaking proceeding or other appropriate regulatory proceeding relating to rates or rate design which is conducted by a State regulatory authority (about an electric utility for which it has ratemaking authority) or by a nonregulated electric utility.

(b) Access to information Any intervenor or participant in a proceeding described in subsection

(a) has access to information available to other parties to the proceeding if such information is relevant to the issues to which his intervention or participation in such proceeding relates. Such information can be obtained through reasonable rules relating to discovery of information prescribed by the State regulatory authority (in the case of proceedings concerning electric utilities for which it has ratemaking authority) or by the nonregulated electric utility (in the case of a proceeding conducted by a nonregulated electric utility).

(c) Effective date; procedures Any intervention or participation under this section, in any proceeding commenced before November 9, 1978 , but not completed before such date, is permitted under this section only to the extent such intervention or participation is timely under otherwise applicable law.