FERC Form 80 (OMB 1902-0106)
Federal Power Act (FPA)
Section 4. The Commission is hereby authorized and empowered –
(g) Upon its own motion to order an investigation of any occupancy of, or evidenced intention to occupy, for the purpose of developing electric power, public lands, reservations, or streams or other bodies of water over which Congress has jurisdiction under its authority to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several States by any person, corporation, State, or municipality and to issue such order as it may find appropriate, expedient, and in the public interest to conserve and utilize the navigation and water-power resources of the region.
Section 10. All licenses issued under this Part shall be on the following conditions:
(a) (1) That the project adopted, including the maps, plans, and specifications, shall be such as in the judgment of the Commission will be best adapted to a comprehensive plan for improving or developing a waterway or waterways for the use or benefit of interstate or foreign commerce, for the improvement and utilization of water-power development, for the adequate protection, mitigation, and enhancement of fish and wildlife (including related spawning grounds and habitat), and for other beneficial public uses, including irrigation, flood control, water supply, and recreational and other purposes referred to in section 4(e); and if necessary in order to secure such plan the Commission shall have authority to require the modification of any project and of the plans and specifications of the project works before approval.
(2) In order to ensure that the project adopted will be best adapted to the comprehensive plan described in paragraph (1), the Commission shall consider each of the following:
(A) The extent to which the project is consistent with a comprehensive plan (where one exists) for improving, developing, or conserving a waterway or waterways affected by the project that is prepared by -
(i) an agency established pursuant to Federal law that has the authority to prepare such a plan; or
(ii) the State in which the facility is or will be located.
(B) The recommendations of Federal and State agencies exercising administration over flood control, navigation, irrigation, recreation, cultural and other relevant resources of the State in which the project is located, and the recommendations (including fish and wildlife recommendations) of Indian tribes affected by the project.
(C) In the case of a State or municipal applicant, or an applicant which is primarily engaged in the generation or sale of electric power (other than electric power solely from cogeneration facilities or small power production facilities),the electricity consumption efficiency improvement program of the applicant, including its plans, performance and capabilities for encouraging or assisting its customers to conserve electricity cost-effectively, taking into account the published policies, restrictions, and requirements of relevant State regulatory authorities applicable to such applicant.
(3) Upon receipt of an application for a license, the Commission shall solicit recommendations from the agencies and Indian tribes identified in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2) for proposed terms and conditions for the Commission's consideration for inclusion in the license.
(b) That except when emergency shall require for the protection of navigation, life, health, or property, no substantial alteration or addition not in conformity with the approved plans shall be made to any dam or other project works constructed hereunder of an installed capacity in excess of two thousand horsepower without the prior approval of the Commission; and any emergency alteration or addition so made shall thereafter be subject to such modification and change as the Commission may direct.
(c) That the licensee shall maintain the project works in a condition of repair adequate for the purposes of navigation and for the efficient operation of said works in the development and transmission of power, shall make all necessary renewals and replacements, shall establish and maintain adequate depreciation reserves for such purposes, shall so maintain, and operate said works as not to impair navigation, and shall conform to such rules and regulations as the Commission may from time to time prescribe for the protection of life, health, and property. Each licensee hereunder shall be liable for all damages occasioned to the property of others by the construction, maintenance, or operation of the project works or of the works appurtenant or accessory thereto, constructed under the license and in no event shall the United States be liable therefor.
(d) That after the first twenty years of operation, out of surplus earned thereafter, if any, accumulated in excess of a specified reasonable rate of return upon the net investment of a licensee in any project or projects under license, the licensee shall establish and maintain amortization reserves, which reserves shall, in the discretion of the Commission, be held until the termination of the license or be applied from time to time in reduction of the net investment. Such specified rate of return and the proportion of such surplus earnings to be paid into and held in such reserves shall be set forth in the license. For any new license issued under section 15, the amortization reserves under this subsection shall be maintained on and after the effective date of such new license.
(e) (1) That the licensee shall pay to the United States reasonable annual charges in an amount to be fixed by the Commission for the purpose of reimbursing the United States for the costs of the administration of this Part, including any reasonable and necessary costs incurred by Federal and State fish and wildlife agencies and other natural and cultural resource agencies in connection with studies or other reviews carried out by such agencies for purposes of administering their responsibilities under this Part; for recompensing it for the use, occupancy, and enjoyment of its lands or other property; and for the expropriation to the Government of excessive profits until the respective States shall make provision for preventing excessive profits or for the expropriation thereof to themselves, or until the period of amortization as herein provided is reached, and in fixing such charges the Commission shall seek to avoid increasing the price to the consumers of power by such charges, and any such charges may be adjusted from time to time by the Commission as conditions may require: Provided,
That, subject to annual appropriations Acts, the portion of such annual charges imposed by the Commission under this subsection to cover the reasonable and necessary costs of such agencies shall be available to such agencies (in addition to other funds appropriated for such purposes) solely for carrying out such studies and reviews and shall remain available until expended:
Provided, That when licenses are issued involving the use of Government dams or other structures owned by the United States or tribal lands embraced within Indian reservations the Commission shall, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior in the case of such dams or structures in reclamation projects and, in the case of such tribal lands, subject to the approval of the Indian tribe having jurisdiction of such lands as provided in section 16 of the Act of June 18, 1934 (48 Stat. 984), fix a reasonable annual charge for the use thereof, and such charges may with like approval be readjusted by the Commission at the end of twenty years after the project is available for service and at periods of not less than ten years thereafter upon notice and opportunity for hearing:
Provided further, That licenses for the development, transmission, or distribution of power by States or municipalities shall be issued and enjoyed without charge to the extent such power is sold to the public without profit or is used by such State or municipality for State or municipal purposes, except that as to projects constructed or to be constructed by States or municipalities primarily designed to provide or improve navigation, licenses therefor shall be issued without charge; and that licenses for the development, transmission, or distribution of power for domestic, mining, or other beneficial use in projects of not more than two thousand horsepower installed capacity may be issued without charge, except on tribal lands within Indian reservations; but in no case shall a license be issued free of charge for the development and utilization of power created by any Government dam and that the amount charged therefor in any license shall be such as determined by the Commission: Provided however, That no charge shall be assessed for the use of any Government dam or structure by any licensee if, before January 1, 1985, the Secretary of the Interior has entered into a contract with such licensee that meets each of the following requirements:
(A) The contract covers one or more projects for which a license was issued by the Commission before January 1, 1985.
(B) The contract contains provisions specifically providing each of the following:
(i) A powerplant may be built by the licensee utilizing irrigation facilities constructed by the United States.
(ii) The powerplant shall remain in the exclusive control, possession, and ownership of the licensee concerned.
(iii) All revenue from the powerplant and from the use, sale, or disposal of electric energy from the powerplant shall be, and remain, the property of such licensee.
(C) The contract is an amendatory, supplemental and replacement contract between the United States and: (i) the Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District (Contract No. 14-06-100-6418); (ii) the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District (Contract No. 14-06-100-6419); or, (iii) the South Columbia Basin Irrigation District (Contract No. 14-06-100-6420).
This paragraph shall apply to any project covered by a contract referred to in this paragraph only during the term of such contract unless otherwise provided by subsequent Act of Congress. In the event an overpayment of any charge due under this section shall be made by a licensee, the Commission is authorized to allow a credit for such overpayment when charges are due for any subsequent period.
(2) In the case of licenses involving the use of Government dams or other structures owned by the United States, the charges fixed (or readjusted) by the Commission under paragraph (1) for the use of such dams or structures shall not exceed 1 mill per kilowatt-hour for the first 40 gigawatt-hours of energy a project produces in any year, 1 1/2 mills per kilowatt-hour for over 40 up to and including 80 gigawatt-hours in any year, and 2 mills per kilowatt-hour for any energy the project produces over 80 gigawatt-hours in any year. Except as provided in subsection (f) of this section, such charge shall be the only charge assessed by any agency of the United States for the use of such dams or structures.
(3) The provisions of paragraph (2) shall apply with respect to -
(A) all licenses issued after the date of enactment of this paragraph; and
(B) all licenses issued before such date, which -
(i) did not fix a specific charge for the use of the Government dam or structure involved; and
(ii) did not specify that no charge would be fixed for the use of such dam or structure.
(4) Every 5 years, the Commission shall review the appropriateness of the annual charge limitations provided for in this subsection and report to Congress concerning its recommendations thereon.
(f) That whenever any licensee hereunder is directly benefited by the construction work of another licensee, a permittee, or of the United States of a storage reservoir or other headwater improvement, the Commission shall require as a condition of the license that the licensee so benefited shall reimburse the owner of such reservoir or other improvements for such part of the annual charges for interest, maintenance, and depreciation thereon as the Commission may deem equitable. The proportion of such charges to be paid by any licensee shall be determined by the Commission. The licensees or permittees affected shall pay to the United States the cost of making such determination as fixed by the Commission.
Whenever such reservoir or other improvement is constructed by the United States the Commission shall assess similar charges against any licensee directly benefited thereby, and any amount so assessed shall be paid into the Treasury of the United States, to be reserved and appropriated as a part of the special fund for headwater improvements as provided in section 17 hereof.
Whenever any power project not under license is benefited by the construction work of a licensee or permittee, the United States or any agency thereof, the Commission, after notice to the owner or owners of such unlicensed project, shall determine and fix a reasonable and equitable annual charge to be paid to the licensee or permittee on account of such benefits, or to the United States if it be the owner of such headwater improvement.
(g) Such other conditions not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act as the commission may require.
(h) (1) Combinations, agreements, arrangements, or understandings, express or implied, to limit the output of electrical energy, to restrain trade, or to fix, maintain, or increase prices for electrical energy or service are hereby prohibited. (2) That conduct under the license that: (A) results in the contravention of the policies expressed in the antitrust laws; and (B) is not otherwise justified by the public interest considering regulatory policies expressed in other applicable law (including but not limited to those contained in Part II of this Act) shall be prevented or adequately minimized by means of conditions included in the license prior to its issuance. In the event it is impossible to prevent or adequately minimize the contravention, the Commission shall refuse to issue any license to the applicant for the project and, in the case of an existing project, shall take appropriate action to provide thereafter for the operation and maintenance of the affected project and for the issuing of a new license in accordance with section 15 of this Part.
(i) In issuing licenses for a minor part only of a complete project, or for a complete project of not more than two thousand horsepower installed capacity, the Commission may in its discretion waive such conditions, provisions, and requirements of this Part, except the license period of fifty years, as it may deem to be to the public interest to waive under the circumstances: Provided, That the provisions hereof shall not apply to annual charges for use of lands within Indian reservations.
(j)(1) That in order to adequately and equitably protect, mitigate damages to, and enhance, fish and wildlife (including related spawning grounds and habitat) affected by the development, operation, and management of the project, each license issued under this Part shall include conditions for such protection, mitigation, and enhancement. Subject to paragraph (2), such conditions shall be based on recommendations received pursuant to the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.) from the National Marine Fisheries Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and State fish and wildlife agencies.
(2) Whenever the Commission believes that any recommendation referred to in paragraph (1) may be inconsistent with the purposes and requirements of this Part or other applicable law, the Commission and the agencies referred to in paragraph (1) shall attempt to resolve any such inconsistency, giving due weight to the recommendations, expertise, and statutory responsibilities of such agencies. If, after such attempt, the Commission does not adopt in whole or in part a recommendation of any such agency, the Commission shall publish each of the following findings (together with a statement of the basis for each of the findings):
(A) A finding that adoption of such recommendation is inconsistent with the purposes and requirements of this Part or with other applicable provisions of law.
(B) A finding that the conditions selected by the Commission comply with the requirements of paragraph (1). Subsection (i) of this section shall not apply to the conditions required under this subsection.
16 U.S.C.
The Commission is authorized and empowered—
To make investigations and to collect and record data concerning the utilization of the water resources of any region to be developed, the water-power industry and its relation to other industries and to interstate or foreign commerce, and concerning the location, capacity, development costs, and relation to markets of power sites, and whether the power from Government dams can be advantageously used by the United States for its public purposes, and what is a fair value of such power, to the extent the Commission may deem necessary or useful for the purposes of this chapter.
(b) Statements as to investment of licenses in projects; access to projects, maps, etc.
To determine the actual legitimate original cost of and the net investment in a licensed project, and to aid the Commission in such determinations, each licensee shall, upon oath, within a reasonable period of time to be fixed by the Commission, after the construction of the original project or any addition thereto or betterment thereof, file with the Commission in such detail as the Commission may require, a statement in duplicate showing the actual legitimate original cost of construction of such project addition, or betterment, and of the price paid for water rights, rights-of-way, lands, or interest in lands. The licensee shall grant to the Commission or to its duly authorized agent or agents, at all reasonable times, free access to such project, addition, or betterment, and to all maps, profiles, contracts, reports of engineers, accounts, books, records, and all other papers and documents relating thereto. The statement of actual legitimate original cost of said project, and revisions thereof as determined by the Commission, shall be filed with the Secretary of the Treasury.
(c) Cooperation with executive departments; information and aid furnished Commission
To cooperate with the executive departments and other agencies of State or National Governments in such investigations; and for such purpose the several departments and agencies of the National Government are authorized and directed upon the request of the Commission, to furnish such records, papers, and information in their possession as may be requested by the Commission, and temporarily to detail to the Commission such officers or experts as may be necessary in such investigations.
(d) Publication of information, etc.; reports to Congress
To make public from time to time the information secured hereunder, and to provide for the publication of its reports and investigations in such form and manner as may be best adapted for public information and use. The Commission, on or before the 3d day of January of each year, shall submit to Congress for the fiscal year preceding a classified report showing the permits and licenses issued under this subchapter, and in each case the parties thereto, the terms prescribed, and the moneys received if any, or account thereof.
(e) Issue of licenses for construction, etc., of dams, conduits, reservoirs, etc.
To issue licenses to citizens of the United States, or to any association of such citizens, or to any corporation organized under the laws of the United States or any State thereof, or to any State or municipality for the purpose of constructing, operating, and maintaining dams, water conduits, reservoirs, power houses, transmission lines, or other project works necessary or convenient for the development and improvement of navigation and for the development, transmission, and utilization of power across, along, from, or in any of the streams or other bodies of water over which Congress has jurisdiction under its authority to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several States, or upon any part of the public lands and reservations of the United States (including the Territories), or for the purpose of utilizing the surplus water or water power from any Government dam, except as herein provided: Provided, That licenses shall be issued within any reservation only after a finding by the Commission that the license will not interfere or be inconsistent with the purpose for which such reservation was created or acquired, and shall be subject to and contain such conditions as the Secretary of the department under whose supervision such reservation falls shall deem necessary for the adequate protection and utilization of such reservation: The license applicant and any party to the proceeding shall be entitled to a determination on the record, after opportunity for an agency trial-type hearing of no more than 90 days, on any disputed issues of material fact with respect to such conditions. All disputed issues of material fact raised by any party shall be determined in a single trial-type hearing to be conducted by the relevant resource agency in accordance with the regulations promulgated under this subsection and within the time frame established by the Commission for each license proceeding. Within 90 days of August 8, 2005, the Secretaries of the Interior, Commerce, and Agriculture shall establish jointly, by rule, the procedures for such expedited trial-type hearing, including the opportunity to undertake discovery and cross-examine witnesses, in consultation with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Provided further, That no license affecting the navigable capacity of any navigable waters of the United States shall be issued until the plans of the dam or other structures affecting the navigation have been approved by the Chief of Engineers and the Secretary of the Army. Whenever the contemplated improvement is, in the judgment of the Commission, desirable and justified in the public interest for the purpose of improving or developing a waterway or waterways for the use or benefit of interstate or foreign commerce, a finding to that effect shall be made by the Commission and shall become a part of the records of the Commission: Provided further, That in case the Commission shall find that any Government dam may be advantageously used by the United States for public purposes in addition to navigation, no license therefor shall be issued until two years after it shall have reported to Congress the facts and conditions relating thereto, except that this provision shall not apply to any Government dam constructed prior to June 10, 1920: And provided further, That upon the filing of any application for a license which has not been preceded by a preliminary permit under subsection (f) of this section, notice shall be given and published as required by the proviso of said subsection. In deciding whether to issue any license under this subchapter for any project, the Commission, in addition to the power and development purposes for which licenses are issued, shall give equal consideration to the purposes of energy conservation, the protection, mitigation of damage to, and enhancement of, fish and wildlife (including related spawning grounds and habitat), the protection of recreational opportunities, and the preservation of other aspects of environmental quality.
(f) Preliminary permits; notice of application
To issue preliminary permits for the purpose of enabling applicants for a license hereunder to secure the data and to perform the acts required by section 802 of this title: Provided, however, That upon the filing of any application for a preliminary permit by any person, association, or corporation the Commission, before granting such application, shall at once give notice of such application in writing to any State or municipality likely to be interested in or affected by such application; and shall also publish notice of such application once each week for four weeks in a daily or weekly newspaper published in the county or counties in which the project or any part hereof or the lands affected thereby are situated.
(g) Investigation of occupancy for developing power; orders
Upon its own motion to order an investigation of any occupancy of, or evidenced intention to occupy, for the purpose of developing electric power, public lands, reservations, or streams or other bodies of water over which Congress has jurisdiction under its authority to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several States by any person, corporation, State, or municipality and to issue such order as it may find appropriate, expedient, and in the public interest to conserve and utilize the navigation and water-power resources of the region.
All licenses issued under this subchapter shall be on the following conditions:
(a) Modification of plans; factors considered to secure adaptability of project; recommendations for proposed terms and conditions
(1) That the project adopted, including the maps, plans, and specifications, shall be such as in the judgment of the Commission will be best adapted to a comprehensive plan for improving or developing a waterway or waterways for the use or benefit of interstate or foreign commerce, for the improvement and utilization of water-power development, for the adequate protection, mitigation, and enhancement of fish and wildlife (including related spawning grounds and habitat), and for other beneficial public uses, including irrigation, flood control, water supply, and recreational and other purposes referred to in section 797 (e) of this title if necessary in order to secure such plan the Commission shall have authority to require the modification of any project and of the plans and specifications of the project works before approval.
(2) In order to ensure that the project adopted will be best adapted to the comprehensive plan described in paragraph (1), the Commission shall consider each of the following:
(A) The extent to which the project is consistent with a comprehensive plan (where one exists) for improving, developing, or conserving a waterway or waterways affected by the project that is prepared by—
(i) an agency established pursuant to Federal law that has the authority to prepare such a plan; or
(ii) the State in which the facility is or will be located.
(B) The recommendations of Federal and State agencies exercising administration over flood control, navigation, irrigation, recreation, cultural and other relevant resources of the State in which the project is located, and the recommendations (including fish and wildlife recommendations) of Indian tribes affected by the project.
(C) In the case of a State or municipal applicant, or an applicant which is primarily engaged in the generation or sale of electric power (other than electric power solely from cogeneration facilities or small power production facilities), the electricity consumption efficiency improvement program of the applicant, including its plans, performance and capabilities for encouraging or assisting its customers to conserve electricity cost-effectively, taking into account the published policies, restrictions, and requirements of relevant State regulatory authorities applicable to such applicant.
(3) Upon receipt of an application for a license, the Commission shall solicit recommendations from the agencies and Indian tribes identified in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2) for proposed terms and conditions for the Commission’s consideration for inclusion in the license.
(b) Alterations in project works
That except when emergency shall require for the protection of navigation, life, health, or property, no substantial alteration or addition not in conformity with the approved plans shall be made to any dam or other project works constructed hereunder of an installed capacity in excess of two thousand horsepower without the prior approval of the Commission; and any emergency alteration or addition so made shall thereafter be subject to such modification and change as the Commission may direct.
(c) Maintenance and repair of project works; liability of licensee for damages
That the licensee shall maintain the project works in a condition of repair adequate for the purposes of navigation and for the efficient operation of said works in the development and transmission of power, shall make all necessary renewals and replacements, shall establish and maintain adequate depreciation reserves for such purposes, shall so maintain, and operate said works as not to impair navigation, and shall conform to such rules and regulations as the Commission may from time to time prescribe for the protection of life, health, and property. Each licensee hereunder shall be liable for all damages occasioned to the property of others by the construction, maintenance, or operation of the project works or of the works appurtenant or accessory thereto, constructed under the license and in no event shall the United States be liable therefor.
(d) Amortization reserves
That after the first twenty years of operation, out of surplus earned thereafter, if any, accumulated in excess of a specified reasonable rate of return upon the net investment of a licensee in any project or projects under license, the licensee shall establish and maintain amortization reserves, which reserves shall, in the discretion of the Commission, be held until the termination of the license or be applied from time to time in reduction of the net investment. Such specified rate of return and the proportion of such surplus earnings to be paid into and held in such reserves shall be set forth in the license. For any new license issued under section 808 of this title, the amortization reserves under this subsection shall be maintained on and after the effective date of such new license.
(e) Annual charges payable by licensees; maximum rates; application; review and report to Congress
(1) That the licensee shall pay to the United States reasonable annual charges in an amount to be fixed by the Commission for the purpose of reimbursing the United States for the costs of the administration of this subchapter, including any reasonable and necessary costs incurred by Federal and State fish and wildlife agencies and other natural and cultural resource agencies in connection with studies or other reviews carried out by such agencies for purposes of administering their responsibilities under this subchapter; for recompensing it for the use, occupancy, and enjoyment of its lands or other property; and for the expropriation to the Government of excessive profits until the respective States shall make provision for preventing excessive profits or for the expropriation thereof to themselves, or until the period of amortization as herein provided is reached, and in fixing such charges the Commission shall seek to avoid increasing the price to the consumers of power by such charges, and any such charges may be adjusted from time to time by the Commission as conditions may require: Provided, That, subject to annual appropriations Acts, the portion of such annual charges imposed by the Commission under this subsection to cover the reasonable and necessary costs of such agencies shall be available to such agencies (in addition to other funds appropriated for such purposes) solely for carrying out such studies and reviews and shall remain available until expended: Provided, That when licenses are issued involving the use of Government dams or other structures owned by the United States or tribal lands embraced within Indian reservations the Commission shall, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior in the case of such dams or structures in reclamation projects and, in the case of such tribal lands, subject to the approval of the Indian tribe having jurisdiction of such lands as provided in section 476 of title 25, fix a reasonable annual charge for the use thereof, and such charges may with like approval be readjusted by the Commission at the end of twenty years after the project is available for service and at periods of not less than ten years thereafter upon notice and opportunity for hearing: Provided further, That licenses for the development, transmission, or distribution of power by States or municipalities shall be issued and enjoyed without charge to the extent such power is sold to the public without profit or is used by such State or municipality for State or municipal purposes, except that as to projects constructed or to be constructed by States or municipalities primarily designed to provide or improve navigation, licenses therefor shall be issued without charge; and that licenses for the development, transmission, or distribution of power for domestic, mining, or other beneficial use in projects of not more than two thousand horsepower installed capacity may be issued without charge, except on tribal lands within Indian reservations; but in no case shall a license be issued free of charge for the development and utilization of power created by any Government dam and that the amount charged therefor in any license shall be such as determined by the Commission: Provided however, That no charge shall be assessed for the use of any Government dam or structure by any licensee if, before January 1, 1985, the Secretary of the Interior has entered into a contract with such licensee that meets each of the following requirements:
(A) The contract covers one or more projects for which a license was issued by the Commission before January 1, 1985.
(B) The contract contains provisions specifically providing each of the following:
(i) A powerplant may be built by the licensee utilizing irrigation facilities constructed by the United States.
(ii) The powerplant shall remain in the exclusive control, possession, and ownership of the licensee concerned.
(iii) All revenue from the powerplant and from the use, sale, or disposal of electric energy from the powerplant shall be, and remain, the property of such licensee.
(C) The contract is an amendatory, supplemental and replacement contract between the United States and:
(i) the Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District (Contract No. 14–06–100–6418);
(ii) the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District (Contract No. 14–06–100–6419); or,
(iii) the South Columbia Basin Irrigation District (Contract No. 14–06–100–6420).
This paragraph shall apply to any project covered by a contract referred to in this paragraph only during the term of such contract unless otherwise provided by subsequent Act of Congress. In the event an overpayment of any charge due under this section shall be made by a licensee, the Commission is authorized to allow a credit for such overpayment when charges are due for any subsequent period.
(2) In the case of licenses involving the use of Government dams or other structures owned by the United States, the charges fixed (or readjusted) by the Commission under paragraph (1) for the use of such dams or structures shall not exceed 1 mill per kilowatt-hour for the first 40 gigawatt-hours of energy a project produces in any year, 11/2 mills per kilowatt-hour for over 40 up to and including 80 gigawatt-hours in any year, and 2 mills per kilowatt-hour for any energy the project produces over 80 gigawatt-hours in any year. Except as provided in subsection (f) of this section, such charge shall be the only charge assessed by any agency of the United States for the use of such dams or structures.
(3) The provisions of paragraph (2) shall apply with respect to—
(A) all licenses issued after October 16, 1986; and
(B) all licenses issued before October 16, 1986, which—
(i) did not fix a specific charge for the use of the Government dam or structure involved; and
(ii) did not specify that no charge would be fixed for the use of such dam or structure.
(4) Every 5 years, the Commission shall review the appropriateness of the annual charge limitations provided for in this subsection and report to Congress concerning its recommendations thereon.
(f) Reimbursement by licensee of other licensees, etc.
That whenever any licensee hereunder is directly benefited by the construction work of another licensee, a permittee, or of the United States of a storage reservoir or other headwater improvement, the Commission shall require as a condition of the license that the licensee so benefited shall reimburse the owner of such reservoir or other improvements for such part of the annual charges for interest, maintenance, and depreciation thereon as the Commission may deem equitable. The proportion of such charges to be paid by any licensee shall be determined by the Commission. The licensees or permittees affected shall pay to the United States the cost of making such determination as fixed by the Commission.
Whenever such reservoir or other improvement is constructed by the United States the Commission shall assess similar charges against any licensee directly benefited thereby, and any amount so assessed shall be paid into the Treasury of the United States, to be reserved and appropriated as a part of the special fund for headwater improvements as provided in section 810 of this title.
Whenever any power project not under license is benefited by the construction work of a licensee or permittee, the United States or any agency thereof, the Commission, after notice to the owner or owners of such unlicensed project, shall determine and fix a reasonable and equitable annual charge to be paid to the licensee or permittee on account of such benefits, or to the United States if it be the owner of such headwater improvement.
(g) Conditions in discretion of commission
Such other conditions not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter as the commission may require.
(h) Monopolistic combinations; prevention or minimization of anticompetitive conduct; action by Commission regarding license and operation and maintenance of project
(1) Combinations, agreements, arrangements, or understandings, express or implied, to limit the output of electrical energy, to restrain trade, or to fix, maintain, or increase prices for electrical energy or service are hereby prohibited.
(2) That conduct under the license that:
(A) results in the contravention of the policies expressed in the antitrust laws; and
(B) is not otherwise justified by the public interest considering regulatory policies expressed in other applicable law (including but not limited to those contained in subchapter II of this chapter) shall be prevented or adequately minimized by means of conditions included in the license prior to its issuance. In the event it is impossible to prevent or adequately minimize the contravention, the Commission shall refuse to issue any license to the applicant for the project and, in the case of an existing project, shall take appropriate action to provide thereafter for the operation and maintenance of the affected project and for the issuing of a new license in accordance with section 808 of this title.
In issuing licenses for a minor part only of a complete project, or for a complete project of not more than two thousand horsepower installed capacity, the Commission may in its discretion waive such conditions, provisions, and requirements of this subchapter, except the license period of fifty years, as it may deem to be to the public interest to waive under the circumstances: Provided, That the provisions hereof shall not apply to annual charges for use of lands within Indian reservations.
(j) Fish and wildlife protection, mitigation and enhancement; consideration of recommendations; findings
(1) That in order to adequately and equitably protect, mitigate damages to, and enhance, fish and wildlife (including related spawning grounds and habitat) affected by the development, operation, and management of the project, each license issued under this subchapter shall include conditions for such protection, mitigation, and enhancement. Subject to paragraph (2), such conditions shall be based on recommendations received pursuant to the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.) from the National Marine Fisheries Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and State fish and wildlife agencies.
(2) Whenever the Commission believes that any recommendation referred to in paragraph (1) may be inconsistent with the purposes and requirements of this subchapter or other applicable law, the Commission and the agencies referred to in paragraph (1) shall attempt to resolve any such inconsistency, giving due weight to the recommendations, expertise, and statutory responsibilities of such agencies. If, after such attempt, the Commission does not adopt in whole or in part a recommendation of any such agency, the Commission shall publish each of the following findings (together with a statement of the basis for each of the findings):
(A) A finding that adoption of such recommendation is inconsistent with the purposes and requirements of this subchapter or with other applicable provisions of law.
(B) A finding that the conditions selected by the Commission comply with the requirements of paragraph (1).
Subsection (i) of this section shall not apply to the conditions required under this subsection.
(a) Every licensee and every public utility shall file with the Commission such annual and other periodic or special reports as the Commission may by rules and regulations or order prescribe as necessary or appropriate to assist the Commission in the proper administration of this chapter. The Commission may prescribe the manner and form in which such reports shall be made, and require from such persons specific answers to all questions upon which the Commission may need information. The Commission may require that such reports shall include, among other things, full information as to assets and liabilities, capitalization, net investment, and reduction thereof, gross receipts, interest due and paid, depreciation, and other reserves, cost of project and other facilities, cost of maintenance and operation of the project and other facilities, cost of renewals and replacement of the project works and other facilities, depreciation, generation, transmission, distribution, delivery, use, and sale of electric energy. The Commission may require any such person to make adequate provision for currently determining such costs and other facts. Such reports shall be made under oath unless the Commission otherwise specifies.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person willfully to hinder, delay, or obstruct the making, filing, or keeping of any information, document, report, memorandum, record, or account required to be made, filed, or kept under this chapter or any rule, regulation, or order thereunder.
The Commission shall have power to perform any and all acts, and to prescribe, issue, make, amend, and rescind such orders, rules, and regulations as it may find necessary or appropriate to carry out the provisions of this chapter. Among other things, such rules and regulations may define accounting, technical, and trade terms used in this chapter; and may prescribe the form or forms of all statements, declarations, applications, and reports to be filed with the Commission, the information which they shall contain, and the time within which they shall be filed. Unless a different date is specified therein, rules and regulations of the Commission shall be effective thirty days after publication in the manner which the Commission shall prescribe. Orders of the Commission shall be effective on the date and in the manner which the Commission shall prescribe. For the purposes of its rules and regulations, the Commission may classify persons and matters within its jurisdiction and prescribe different requirements for different classes of persons or matters. All rules and regulations of the Commission shall be filed with its secretary and shall be kept open in convenient form for public inspection and examination during reasonable business hours.
In order to secure information necessary or appropriate as a basis for recommending legislation, the Commission is authorized and directed to conduct investigations regarding the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electric energy, however produced, throughout the United States and its possessions, whether or not otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission, including the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electric energy by any agency, authority, or instrumentality of the United States, or of any State or municipality or other political subdivision of a State. It shall, so far as practicable, secure and keep current information regarding the ownership, operation, management, and control of all facilities for such generation, transmission, distribution, and sale; the capacity and output thereof and the relationship between the two; the cost of generation, transmission, and distribution; the rates, charges, and contracts in respect of the sale of electric energy and its service to residential, rural, commercial, and industrial consumers and other purchasers by private and public agencies; and the relation of any or all such facts to the development of navigation, industry, commerce, and the national defense. The Commission shall report to Congress the results of investigations made under authority of this section.
Title 18 C.F.R.
Following the issuance or amendment of a license, the licensee shall make reasonable efforts to keep the public informed of the availability of project lands and waters for recreational purposes, and of the license conditions of interest to persons who may be interested in the recreational aspects of the project or who may wish to acquire lands in its vicinity. Such efforts shall include but not be limited to: the publication of notice in a local newspaper once each week for 4 weeks of the project's license conditions which relate to public access to and the use of the project waters and lands for recreational purposes, recreational plans, installation of recreation and fish and wildlife facilities, reservoir water surface elevations, minimum water releases or rates of change of water releases and such other conditions of general public interest as the Commission may designate in the order issuing or amending the license.
(a) Following the issuance or amendment of a license, the licensee shall post and shall maintain at all points of public access which are required by the license (or at such access points as are specifically designated for this purpose by the licensee) and at such other points as are subsequently prescribed by the Commission on its own motion or upon the recommendation of a public recreation agency operating in the area in which the project is located, a conspicuous sign giving the name of the project and the owner of the project, a statement that it is licensed by the Commission and the project number, directions to the areas of the project which are available for public recreation use, permissible times and activities, and other regulations regarding such use, and advising that further information may be obtained at local offices of the licensee in the vicinity of the project. In addition, the licensee shall post at such locations conspicuous notice that the recreation facilities are open to all members of the public without discrimination.
(b) The licensee shall make available for inspection at its local offices in the vicinity of the project the recreation plan approved by the Commission and the entire license instrument, properly indexed for easy reference to the license conditions designated for publications in §8.1.
Every licensee maintaining recreation facilities for the use of the public at a licensed project, or employing or permitting any other person to maintain such facilities, shall permit, or require such other person to permit, equal and unobstructed use of such facilities to all members of the public without regard to race, color, religious creed or national origin.
(a) Applicability. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, each licensee of a project under major or minor Commission license shall prepare with respect to each development within such project an original and two conformed copies of FERC Form No. 80 prescribed by §141.14 of this chapter and submit them to a the Commission pursuant to the requirements in the General Information portion of the form.
(2) FERC Form No. 80 is due on April 1, 2009, for data compiled during the calendar year ending December 31, 2008. Thereafter, FERC Form No. 80 is due on April 1 of every sixth year for data compiled during the previous calendar year.
(3) A copy of the Form No. 80 should be retained by the respondent licensee in its file.
(b) Initial Form No. 80 filings. Each licensee of an unconstructed project shall file an initial Form No. 80 after such project has been in operation for a full calendar year prior to the filing deadline. Each licensee of an existing (constructed) project shall file an initial Form No. 80 after such project has been licensed for a full calendar year prior to the filing deadline.
(c) Exemptions. A licensee who has filed a Form No. 80 may request an exemption from any further filing of the form for any development that has no existing or potential recreational use or only a minor existing or potential recreational use (as indicated by fewer than 100 recreation days of use during the previous calendar year) by submitting a statement not later than 6 months prior to the due date for the next filing, stating that Form No. 80 has been filed previously for such development and setting out the basis for believing that the development has no existing or potential recreational use or a minor existing or potential recreational use.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | Federal Power Act (FPA) |
| Author | Sheila Lampitoc |
| Last Modified By | Richard Palmer |
| File Modified | 2013-06-11 |
| File Created | 2010-06-15 |