16 USC 803(e)

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16 USC 803: Conditions of license generally

Text contains those laws in effect on May 7, 2017

From Title 16-CONSERVATION

CHAPTER 12-FEDERAL REGULATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF POWER

SUBCHAPTER I-REGULATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF WATER POWER AND RESOURCES

§803. Conditions of license generally

All licenses issued under this subchapter shall be on the following conditions:

….

(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 5123 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, 1½ 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), 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.