History

• According to the EIA website, an act of Congress called the Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977 established the EIA . The formation of the EIA followed the oil crisis of the 1970s and in particular the crisis of 1973; the federal government created the agency as an authority responsible for the collation of statistics and the interpretation of data to form reports on all aspects of the fuel industry and types of fuels. The EIA also plays a role in the education of the U.S. public in the consumption and use of energy.
  
  

Independence

• The U.S. Department of Energy describes the EIA's role as a statistical one independent from the Department of Energy. The EIA is required by law to supply information in an attempt to aid the U.S. Government in the formation of policy and programs associated with both national and international energy issues. The role of the EIA set out by Congress involves supplying data to link energy use and types of energy linking the information with economic and environmental issues.
  
  

Education

• The EIA makes available the information it collects and interprets to people throughout the world. The EIA website defines the agency's role as promoting education and understanding of energy choices and policy to people throughout the world. To complete this role, the EIA helps in youth education with the EIA Kids website and in the production of weekly, monthly, annual and periodical reports.
  
  

Policy

• One of the EIA's key roles involves assisting government agencies and U.S. national leaders in the formation of energy-associated policies. To achieve this role, the EIA website reports the agency collects data and assembles reports on energy markets and use around the world. Not affected by existing government policy or responsible for formulating policy, the EIA simply supplies the data to help other agencies decide on the feasibility of possible policies.
  
  

Formats

• The role of the EIA involves supplying information accessible to all U.S. citizens, meaning the agency uses a variety of formats to supply energy information. Along with traditional reports, the EIA uses its website to make access to its information easy for the majority of people. The agency uses press releases, databases and maps to ease the interpretation of data.