Gulf States Utilities Co. v. Federal Power Commission

411 U.S. 747 · Decided May 14, 1973 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Gulf States Utilities Co. v. Federal Power Commission was decided on May 14, 1973 by a vote of 6–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Harry A. Blackmun wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Electric power regulation” in the Economic Activity area.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Gulf States Utilities Co. v. Federal Power Commission et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1972-116, docket 1972-116-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Electric power regulation”

• Federal Power Commission v. New England Power Co.
  415 U.S. 345Decided March 4, 19747–0William O. Douglas
• Federal Power Commission v. Florida Power & Light Co.
  404 U.S. 453Decided January 12, 19724–2Byron R. White
• Chemehuevi Tribe of Indians v. Federal Power Commission
  420 U.S. 395Decided March 3, 19758–0Potter Stewart
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  402 U.S. 515Decided May 24, 19718–0William J. Brennan Jr.
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  400 U.S. 73Decided December 8, 19704–4
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  426 U.S. 271Decided June 7, 19769–0Byron R. White

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Cases on the same legal provision: Federal Power Act

• Otter Tail Power Co. v. United States
  410 U.S. 366Decided February 22, 19734–3William O. Douglas
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Federal Power Commission
  425 U.S. 662Decided May 19, 19768–0Potter Stewart
• Udall v. Federal Power Commission
  387 U.S. 428Decided June 5, 19676–2William O. Douglas
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  461 U.S. 375Decided May 16, 19837–2William J. Brennan Jr.
• Escondido Mutual Water Co. v. La Jolla Band of Mission Indians
  466 U.S. 765Decided May 15, 19849–0Byron R. White
• Nantahala Power & Light Co. v. Thornburg
  476 U.S. 953Decided June 16, 19867–0Sandra Day O'Connor

Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)

• Gottschalk v. Benson
  409 U.S. 63Decided November 20, 19726–0William O. Douglas
• Evco v. JonesLaw held unconstitutional
  409 U.S. 91Decided December 4, 19729–0Per curiam
• Union Oil Co. of California v. the San Jacinto
  409 U.S. 140Decided December 5, 19726–3William H. Rehnquist
• Executive Jet Aviation, Inc. v. City of Cleveland
  409 U.S. 249Decided December 18, 19729–0Potter Stewart
• Heublein, Inc. v. South Carolina Tax Commission
  409 U.S. 275Decided December 18, 19728–0Thurgood Marshall
• Ricci v. Chicago Mercantile Exchange
  409 U.S. 289Decided January 9, 19735–4Byron R. White

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Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error