Code of Federal Regulations Title 10. Energy § 10.501.134 Issuance and effect of interpretations

(a) DOE may issue an interpretation after consideration of the request for interpretation and other relevant information received or obtained during the proceeding.

(b) The interpretation will contain a written statement of the information upon which it is based and a legal analysis of and conclusions regarding the application of rulings, regulations and other precedent to the situation presented in the request.

(c) Only those persons to whom an interpretation is specifically addressed, and other persons upon whom the DOE serves the interpretation and who are directly involved in the same transaction or act, are entitled to rely upon it. No person entitled to rely upon an interpretation shall be subject to civil or criminal penalties stated in title VII of FUA for any act taken in reliance upon the interpretation, notwithstanding that the interpretation shall thereafter be declared by judicial or other competent authority to be invalid.

(d) DOE may at any time rescind or modify an interpretation on its own initiative. Rescission or modification shall be made by notifying persons entitled to rely on the interpretation that it is rescinded or modified. This notification will include a statement of the reasons for the rescission or modification and, in the case of a modification, a restatement of the interpretation as modified.

(e) An interpretation is modified by a subsequent amendment to the regulations or ruling to the extent that it is inconsistent with the amended regulation or ruling.

(f) Any person who believes he is directly affected by an interpretation issued by DOE, and who believes that he will be aggrieved by its implementation, may submit a petition for reconsideration of that interpretation to the General Counsel. DOE will acknowledge receipt of all requests for reconsideration;  however, this acknowledgement in no way binds DOE to commence any proceeding on the request. If within sixty (60) days of DOE's acknowledgement of the receipt of a request for reconsideration, DOE has not issued either a notice of intent to commence a proceeding to reconsider the interpretation or a modification, revision or rescission of the original interpretation, the request for reconsideration will be deemed denied. DOE may, in its discretion, issue a formal denial of a request for reconsideration if: