Laws: Cases and Codes : U.S. Code : Title 16 : Section 838l


   
U.S. Code as of: 01/19/04
Section 838l. Bonneville Power Administration refinancing

    (a) Definitions
      For the purposes of this section - 
        (1) "Administrator" means the Administrator of the Bonneville
      Power Administration;
        (2) "capital investment" means a capitalized cost funded by
      Federal appropriations that - 
          (A) is for a project, facility, or separable unit or feature
        of a project or facility;
          (B) is a cost for which the Administrator is required by law
        to establish rates to repay to the United States Treasury
        through the sale of electric power, transmission, or other
        services;
          (C) excludes a Federal irrigation investment; and
          (D) excludes an investment financed by the current revenues
        of the Administrator or by bonds issued and sold, or authorized
        to be issued and sold, by the Administrator under section 838k
        of this title;

        (3) "new capital investment" means a capital investment for a
      project, facility, or separable unit or feature of a project or
      facility, placed in service after September 30, 1996;
        (4) "old capital investment" means a capital investment the
      capitalized cost of which - 
          (A) was incurred, but not repaid, before October 1, 1996, and
          (B) was for a project, facility, or separable unit or feature
        of a project or facility, placed in service before October 1,
        1996;

        (5) "repayment date" means the end of the period within which
      the Administrator's rates are to assure the repayment of the
      principal amount of a capital investment; and
        (6) "Treasury rate" means - 
          (A) for an old capital investment, a rate determined by the
        Secretary of the Treasury, taking into consideration prevailing
        market yields, during the month preceding October 1, 1996, on
        outstanding interest-bearing obligations of the United States
        with periods to maturity comparable to the period between
        October 1, 1996, and the repayment date for the old capital
        investment; and
          (B) for a new capital investment, a rate determined by the
        Secretary of the Treasury, taking into consideration prevailing
        market yields, during the month preceding the beginning of the
        fiscal year in which the related project, facility, or
        separable unit or feature is placed in service, on outstanding
        interest-bearing obligations of the United States with periods
        to maturity comparable to the period between the beginning of
        the fiscal year and the repayment date for the new capital
        investment.
    (b) New principal amounts
      (1) Principal amount
        Effective October 1, 1996, an old capital investment has a new
      principal amount that is the sum of - 
          (A) the present value of the old payment amounts for the old
        capital investment, calculated using a discount rate equal to
        the Treasury rate for the old capital investment; and
          (B) an amount equal to $100,000,000 multiplied by a fraction
        whose numerator is the principal amount of the old payment
        amounts for the old capital investment and whose denominator is
        the sum of the principal amounts of the old payment amounts for
        all old capital investments.
      (2) Determination
        With the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury based solely
      on consistency with this section, the Administrator shall
      determine the new principal amounts under subsection (b) of this
      section and the assignment of interest rates to the new principal
      amounts under subsection (c) of this section.
      (3) Old payment amounts
        For the purposes of this subsection, "old payment amounts"
      means, for an old capital investment, the annual interest and
      principal that the Administrator would have paid to the United
      States Treasury from October 1, 1996, if this section had not
      been enacted, assuming that - 
          (A) the principal were repaid - 
            (i) on the repayment date the Administrator assigned before
          October 1, 1994, to the old capital investment, or
            (ii) with respect to an old capital investment for which
          the Administrator has not assigned a repayment date before
          October 1, 1994, on a repayment date the Administrator shall
          assign to the old capital investment in accordance with
          paragraph 10(d)(1) of the version of Department of Energy
          Order RA 6120.2 in effect on October 1, 1994; and

          (B) interest were paid - 
            (i) at the interest rate the Administrator assigned before
          October 1, 1994, to the old capital investment, or
            (ii) with respect to an old capital investment for which
          the Administrator has not assigned an interest rate before
          October 1, 1994, at a rate determined by the Secretary of the
          Treasury, taking into consideration prevailing market yields,
          during the month preceding the beginning of the fiscal year
          in which the related project, facility, or separable unit or
          feature is placed in service, on outstanding interest-bearing
          obligations of the United States with periods to maturity
          comparable to the period between the beginning of the fiscal
          year and the repayment date for the old capital investment.
    (c) Interest rate for new principal amounts
      As of October 1, 1996, the unpaid balance on the new principal
    amount established for an old capital investment under subsection
    (b) of this section bears interest annually at the Treasury rate
    for the old capital investment until the earlier of the date that
    the new principal amount is repaid or the repayment date for the
    new principal amount.
    (d) Repayment dates
      As of October 1, 1996, the repayment date for the new principal
    amount established for an old capital investment under subsection
    (b) of this section is no earlier than the repayment date for the
    old capital investment assumed in subsection (b)(3)(A) of this
    section.
    (e) Prepayment limitations
      During the period October 1, 1996, through September 30, 2001,
    the total new principal amounts of old capital investments, as
    established under subsection (b) of this section, that the
    Administrator may pay before their respective repayment dates shall
    not exceed $100,000,000.
    (f) Interest rates for new capital investments during construction
      (1) New capital investment
        The principal amount of a new capital investment includes
      interest in each fiscal year of construction of the related
      project, facility, or separable unit or feature at a rate equal
      to the one-year rate for the fiscal year on the sum of - 
          (A) construction expenditures that were made from the date
        construction commenced through the end of the fiscal year, and
          (B) accrued interest during construction.
      (2) Payment
        The Administrator is not required to pay, during construction
      of the project, facility, or separable unit or feature, the
      interest calculated, accrued, and capitalized under subsection
      (f)(1) of this section.
      (3) One-year rate
        For the purposes of this section, "one-year rate" for a fiscal
      year means a rate determined by the Secretary of the Treasury,
      taking into consideration prevailing market yields, during the
      month preceding the beginning of the fiscal year, on outstanding
      interest-bearing obligations of the United States with periods to
      maturity of approximately one year.
    (g) Interest rates for new capital investments
      The unpaid balance on the principal amount of a new capital
    investment bears interest at the Treasury rate for the new capital
    investment from the date the related project, facility, or
    separable unit or feature is placed in service until the earlier of
    the date the new capital investment is repaid or the repayment date
    for the new capital investment.
    (h) Omitted
    (i) Contract provisions
      In each contract of the Administrator that provides for the
    Administrator to sell electric power, transmission, or related
    services, and that is in effect after September 30, 1996, the
    Administrator shall offer to include, or as the case may be, shall
    offer to amend to include, provisions specifying that after
    September 30, 1996 - 
        (1) the Administrator shall establish rates and charges on the
      basis that - 
          (A) the principal amount of an old capital investment shall
        be no greater than the new principal amount established under
        subsection (b) of this section;
          (B) the interest rate applicable to the unpaid balance of the
        new principal amount of an old capital investment shall be no
        greater than the interest rate established under subsection (c)
        of this section;
          (C) any payment of principal of an old capital investment
        shall reduce the outstanding principal balance of the old
        capital investment in the amount of the payment at the time the
        payment is tendered; and
          (D) any payment of interest on the unpaid balance of the new
        principal amount of an old capital investment shall be a credit
        against the appropriate interest account in the amount of the
        payment at the time the payment is tendered;

        (2) apart from charges necessary to repay the new principal
      amount of an old capital investment as established under
      subsection (b) of this section and to pay the interest on the
      principal amount under subsection (c) of this section, no amount
      may be charged for return to the United States Treasury as
      repayment for or return on an old capital investment, whether by
      way of rate, rent, lease payment, assessment, user charge, or any
      other fee;
        (3) amounts provided under section 1304 of title 31 shall be
      available to pay, and shall be the sole source for payment of, a
      judgment against or settlement by the Administrator or the United
      States on a claim for a breach of the contract provisions
      required by this Part;(!1) and

        (4) the contract provisions specified in this Part (!1) do not
      - 
          (A) preclude the Administrator from recovering, through rates
        or other means, any tax that is generally imposed on electric
        utilities in the United States, or
          (B) affect the Administrator's authority under applicable
        law, including section 839e(g) of this title, to - 
            (i) allocate costs and benefits, including but not limited
          to fish and wildlife costs, to rates or resources, or
            (ii) design rates.
    (j) Savings provisions
      (1) Repayment
        This section does not affect the obligation of the
      Administrator to repay the principal associated with each capital
      investment, and to pay interest on the principal, only from the
      "Administrator's net proceeds," as defined in section 838k(b) of
      this title.
      (2) Payment of capital investment
        Except as provided in subsection (e) of this section, this
      section does not affect the authority of the Administrator to pay
      all or a portion of the principal amount associated with a
      capital investment before the repayment date for the principal
      amount.



Previous [Notes]

Related Resources

Environmental Law Guide

FindLaw Environmental News

Endangered Species Act Summary

Environmental Law Discussion