16 U.S.C. § 839c - Sale of power

• Cite as: 16 U.S.C. § 839c

(a) Preferences and priorities

All power sales under this chapter shall be subject at all times to the preference and priority provisions of the Bonneville Project Act of 1937 ( 16 U.S.C. 832 and following) and, in particular, sections 4 and 5 thereof [ 16 U.S.C. 832c and 832d ]. Such sales shall be at rates established pursuant to section 839e of this title.

(b) Sales to public bodies, cooperatives, and Federal agency customers

(1) Whenever requested, the Administrator shall offer to sell to each requesting public body and cooperative entitled to preference and priority under the Bonneville Project Act of 1937 [ 16 U.S.C. 832 et seq.] and to each requesting investor-owned utility electric power to meet the firm power load of such public body, cooperative or investor-owned utility in the Region to the extent that such firm power load exceeds-

(A) the capability of such entity's firm peaking and energy resources used in the year prior to December 5, 1980, to serve its firm load in the region, and

(B) such other resources as such entity determines, pursuant to contracts under this chapter, will be used to serve its firm load in the region.

In determining the resources which are used to serve a firm load, for purposes of subparagraphs (A) and (B), any resources used to serve a firm load under such subparagraphs shall be treated as continuing to be so used, unless such use is discontinued with the consent of the Administrator, or unless such use is discontinued because of obsolescence, retirement, loss of resource, or loss of contract rights.

(2) Contracts with investor-owned utilities shall provide that the Administrator may reduce his obligations under such contracts in accordance with section 5(a) of the Bonneville Project Act of 1937 [ 16 U.S.C. 832d(a) ].

(3) In addition to his authorities to sell electric power under paragraph (1), the Administrator is also authorized to sell electric power to Federal agencies in the region.

(4) Sales under this subsection shall be made only if the public body, cooperative, Federal agency or investor-owned utility complies with the Administrator's standards for service in effect on December 5, 1980, or as subsequently revised.

(5) The Administrator shall include in contracts executed in accordance with this subsection provisions that enable the Administrator to restrict his contractual obligations to meet the loads referred to in this subsection in the future if the Administrator determines, after a reasonable period of experience under this chapter, that the Administrator cannot be assured on a planning basis of acquiring sufficient resources to meet such loads during a specified period of insufficiency. Any such contract with a public body, cooperative, or Federal agency shall specify a reasonable minimum period between a notice of restriction and the earliest date such restriction may be imposed.

(6) Contracts executed in accordance with this subsection with public body, cooperative, and Federal agency customers shall-

(A) provide that the restriction referred to in paragraph (5) shall not be applicable to any such customers until the operating year in which the total of such customers' firm loads to be served by the Administrator equals or exceeds the firm capability of the Federal base system resources;

(B) not permit restrictions which would reduce the total contractual entitlement of such customers to an amount less than the firm capability of the Federal base system resources; and

(C) contain a formula for determining annually, on a uniform basis, each such customer's contractual entitlement to firm power during such a period of restriction, which formula shall not consider customer resources other than those the customer has determined, as of December 5, 1980, to be used to serve its own firm loads.