Pursuant to § 2.29, the following delegation of authority is made by the Chief Economist to the Deputy Chief Economist, to be exercised only during the absence or unavailability of the Chief Economist: Perform all the duties and exercise all the powers which are now or which may hereafter be delegated to the Chief Economist.

(a) Delegations. Pursuant to § 2.29(a)(2), the following delegations of authority are by the Chief Economist to the Director, Office of Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Analysis:

(1) Responsible for assessing the risks to human health, human safety, or the environment, and for preparing cost-benefit analyses, with respect to proposed major regulations, and for publishing such assessments and analyses in the Federal Register as required by section 304 of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 2204e)

(2) Provide direction to Department agencies in the appropriate methods of risk assessment and cost-benefit analyses and coordinate and review all risk assessments and cost-benefit analyses prepared by any agency of the Department.

(b) Reservation. The following authority is reserved to the Chief Economist: Review all proposed decisions having substantial economic policy implications.

(a) Delegations. Pursuant to § 2.29 (a)(3) through (a)(7), the following delegations of authority are made by the Chief Economist to the Chairman, World Agricultural Outlook Board:

(1) Related to food and agriculture outlook and situation. (i) Coordinate and review all crop and commodity data used to develop outlook and situation material within the Department.

(ii) Oversee and clear for consistency analytical assumptions and results of all estimates and analyses which significantly relate to international and domestic commodity supply and demand, including such estimates and analyses prepared for public distribution by the Foreign Agricultural Service, the Economic Research Service, or by any other agency or office of the Department.

(2) Related to weather and climate. (i) Advise the Secretary on climate and weather activities, and coordinate the development of policy options on weather and climate.

(ii) Coordinate all weather and climate information and monitoring activities within the Department and provide a focal point in the Department for weather and climate information and impact assessment.

(iii) Arrange for appropriate representation to attend all meetings, hearings, and task forces held outside the Department which require such representation.

(iv) Designate the Executive Secretary of the USDA Weather and Climate Program Coordinating Committee.

(v) Coordinate with the Director of the National Drought Mitigation Center and the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to enhance the collection of data to improve the accuracy of the United States Drought Monitor (7 U.S.C. 5856).

(3) Related to interagency commodity estimates committees. (i) Establish Interagency Commodity Estimates Committees for Commodity Credit Corporation price-supported commodities, for major products thereof, and for commodities where a need for such a committee has been identified, in order to bring together estimates and supporting analyses from participating agencies, and to develop official estimates of supply, utilization, and prices for commodities, including the effects of new program proposals on acreage, yield, production, imports, domestic utilization, price, income, support programs, carryover, exports, and availabilities for export.

(ii) Designate the Chairman, who shall also act as Secretary, for all Interagency Commodity Estimates Committees.

(iii) Assure that all committee members have the basic assumptions, background data and other relevant data regarding the overall economy and market prospects for specific commodities.

(iv) Review for consistency of analytical assumptions and results all proposed decisions made by Commodity Estimates Committees prior to any release outside the Department.

(4) [Reserved]

(5) Related to long-range commodity and agricultural-sector projections. Establish committees of the agencies of the Department to coordinate the development of a set of analytical assumptions and long-range agricultural-sector projections (2 years and beyond) based on commodity projections consistent with these assumptions and coordinated through the Interagency Commodity Estimates Committees.

(b) Reservation. The following authority is reserved to the Chief Economist: Review all proposed decisions having substantial economic policy implications.

(a) Delegations. Pursuant to § 2.29(a)(11) through (13) the following delegations of authority are made by the Chief Economist to the Director, Office of Energy and Environmental Policy.

(1) Providing Department leadership in:

(i) Analyzing and evaluating existing and proposed energy policies and strategies, including those regarding the allocation of scarce resources;

(ii) Developing energy policies and strategies, including those regarding the allocation of scarce resources;

(iii) Reviewing and evaluating Departmental energy and energy-related programs and program progress;

(iv) Developing agricultural and rural components of national energy policy plans;

(v) Preparing reports on energy and energy-related policies and programs required under Act of Congress and Executive Orders, including those involving testimony and reports on legislative proposals.

(2) Providing Departmental oversight and coordination with respect to resources available for energy and energy-related activities, including funds transferred to USDA from departments and agencies of the Federal government pursuant to interagency agreements.

(3) Representing the Chief Economist at conferences, meetings, and other contacts where energy matters are discussed, including liaison with the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other governmental departments and agencies.

(4) Providing the Chief Economist with such assistance as requested to perform the duties delegated to the Director concerning energy and new uses.

(5) Working with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations to maintain Congressional and public contacts in energy matters, including development of legislative proposals, preparation of reports on legislation pending in congress, appearances before Congressional committees, and related activities.

(6) These delegations exclude the energy management actions related to the internal operations of the Department as delegated to the Assistant Secretary for Administration.

(7) Conduct a program on the economic feasibility of new uses of agricultural products. Assist agricultural researchers by evaluating the economic and market potential of new agricultural products in the initial phase of development and contributing to prioritization of the Departmental research agenda.

(8) Administer a competitive biodiesel fuel education grants program (7 U.S.C. 8106).

(9) Implement a memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Energy regarding cooperation in the application of hydrogen and fuel cell technology programs for rural communities and agricultural producers.

(10) Related to global climate change. (i) Coordinate policy analysis, long-range planning, research, and response strategies relating to climate change issues.

(ii) Provide liaison with other Federal agencies, through the Office of Science and Technology Policy, regarding climate change issues.

(iii) Inform the Department of scientific developments and policy issues relating to the effects of climate change on agriculture and forestry, including broader issues that affect the impact of climate change on the farms and forests of the United States.

(iv) Recommend to the Chief Economist alternative courses of action with which to respond to such scientific developments and policy issues.

(v) Ensure that recognition of the potential for climate change is fully integrated into the research, planning, and decisionmaking processes of the Department.

(vi) Coordinate global climate change studies.

(vii) Coordinate the participation of the Department in interagency climate-related activities.

(viii) Consult with the National Academy of Sciences and private, academic, State, and local groups with respect to climate research and related activities.

(ix) Represent the Department to the Office of Science and Technology Policy on issues related to climate change.

(x) Represent the Department on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

(xi) Review all Department budget items relating to climate change issues, including specifically the research budget to be submitted by the Secretary to the Office of Management and Budget.

(11) Related to environmental markets. Coordinate implementation of section 1245 of the Food Security Act of 1985 regarding environmental services markets (16 U.S.C. 3845).

(b) [Reserved]

(a) Delegations. Pursuant to § 2.29(a)(16), the following delegations of authority are made by the Chief Economist to the Director, Office of Pest Management Policy:

(1) Coordinate USDA policy relative to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, as amended (7 U.S.C. 136, et seq.) and coordinate the Department's Integrated Pest Management Programs and the Pesticide Assessment Program (7 U.S.C. 136-136y) (7 U.S.C. 7653).

(2) Conduct a multiple crop and pesticide use survey as authorized by section 10109 of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018.

(b) [Reserved]