Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-110
§838i Bonneville Power Administration Fund
Title 16 › CHAPTER 12G — PACIFIC NORTHWEST FEDERAL TRANSMISSION SYSTEM › § 838i
Summary
Creates a Bonneville Power Administration fund in the U.S. Treasury. The fund must include all cash the Administrator collects, money from bonds the Administrator sells, any Congressional appropriations, and transfers of specific Treasury balances (including the special account from Executive Order No. 8526 of August 26, 1940, the unspent balance of the continuing fund under section 832j, and other unspent amounts made available for the Administration). The money is available for the Secretary of Energy, working through the Administrator, to spend as allowed by this chapter and other laws about the Federal Columbia River transmission system, but spending may be limited by appropriation laws until Congress approves the Administrator’s next annual budget program. The Administrator may spend fund money that was included in the annual budget sent to Congress without asking for more appropriations and with no yearly spending limit, subject to appropriation directives. Allowed uses include construction, replacement, operation, upkeep, and relocation of the transmission system; electrical research; power marketing; using or renting others’ transmission facilities; short-term power purchases in the specific situations listed in the law (for temporary shortages, if previously authorized, with funds provided by others under trust, or to meet duties under section 4(h) of the Pacific Northwest Act); emergency costs; paying bond interest and principal for bonds under section 838k(a); required payments to the reclamation fund and miscellaneous receipts for repayment of federal investment; buying goods and services and paying memberships as needed; and payments needed to carry out the Pacific Northwest Act. Money must be used only for its intended purpose, trust money only for its trust. Rules in chapter 91 of title 31 apply to the Administrator like they apply to the government corporations named in section 9101 of title 31, except that section 9105(d) of title 31 does not change certain powers listed in the law. The Comptroller General will audit the Administrator’s finances as needed and must report results to Congress within 6½ months after the end of the fiscal year audited.
Full Legal Text
Title 16, §838i
Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Establishment; composition; availability of transferred funds for expenditures
There is hereby established in the Treasury of the United States a Bonneville Power Administration fund (hereinafter referred to as the “fund”). The fund shall consist of (1) all receipts, collections, and recoveries of the Administrator in cash from all sources, including trust funds, (2) all proceeds derived from the sale of bonds by the Administrator, (3) any appropriations made by the Congress for the fund, and (4) the following funds which are hereby transferred to the Administrator: (i) all moneys in the special account in the Treasury established pursuant to Executive Order Numbered 8526 dated August 26, 1940, (ii) the unexpended balances in the continuing fund established by the provisions of section 832j of this title, and (iii) the unexpended balances of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for the Bonneville Power Administration. All funds transferred hereunder shall be available for expenditure by the Secretary of Energy, acting by and through the Administrator, as authorized in this chapter and any other Act relating to the Federal Columbia River transmission system, subject to such limitations as may be prescribed by any applicable appropriation act effective during such period as may elapse between their transfer and the approval by the Congress of the first subsequent annual budget program of the Administrator.
(b)Authorized purposes of expenditures
The Administrator may make expenditures from the fund, which shall have been included in his annual budget submitted to Congress, without further appropriation and without fiscal year limitation, but within such specific directives or limitations as may be included in appropriation acts, for any purpose necessary or appropriate to carry out the duties imposed upon the Administrator pursuant to law, including but not limited to—
(1)construction, acquisition, and replacement of (i) the transmission system, including facilities and structures appurtenant thereto, and (ii) additions, improvements, and betterments thereto (hereinafter in this chapter referred to as “transmission system”);
(2)operation, maintenance, repair, and relocation, to the extent such relocation is not provided for under subsection (1) above, of the transmission system;
(3)electrical research, development, experimentation, test, and investigation related to construction, operation, and maintenance of transmission systems and facilities;
(4)marketing of electric power;
(5)transmission over facilities of others and rental, lease, or lease-purchase of facilities;
(6)purchase of electric power (including the entitlement of electric plant capability) (i) on a short-term basis to meet temporary deficiencies in electric power which the Administrator is obligated by contract to supply, or (ii) if such purchase has been heretofore authorized or is made with funds expressly appropriated for such purchase by the Congress, (iii) if to be paid for with funds provided by other entities for such purpose under a trust or agency arrangement, or (iv) on a short term basis to meet the Administrator’s obligations under section 4(h) of the Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act [16 U.S.C. 839b(h)];
(7)defraying emergency expenses or insuring continuous operation;
(8)paying the interest on, premiums, discounts, and expenses, if any, in connection with the issuance of, and principal of all bonds issued under section 838k(a) of this title, including provision for and maintenance of reserve and other funds established in connection therewith;
(9)making such payments to the credit of the reclamation fund or other funds as are required by or pursuant to law to be made into such funds in connection with reclamation projects in the Pacific Northwest: Provided, That this clause shall not be construed as permitting the use of revenues for repayment of costs allocated to irrigation at any project except as otherwise expressly authorized by law;
(10)making payments to the credit of miscellaneous receipts of the Treasury for all unpaid costs required by or pursuant to law to be charged to and returned to the general fund of the Treasury for the repayment of the Federal investment in the Federal Columbia River Power System from electric power marketed by the Administrator;
(11)acquiring such goods and services, and paying dues and membership fees in such professional, utility, industry, and other societies, associations, and institutes, together with expenses related to such memberships, including but not limited to the acquisitions and payments set forth in the general provisions of the annual appropriations Act for the Department of Energy, as the Administrator determines to be necessary or appropriate in carrying out the purposes of this chapter; and
(12)making such payments, as shall be required to carry out the purposes and provisions of the Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act [16 U.S.C. 839 et seq.].
(c)Restriction on use of expenditures to authorized purposes; expenditures of moneys received in trust; applicability of provisions relating to control of Government corporations
Moneys heretofore or hereafter appropriated shall be used only for the purposes for which appropriated, and moneys received by the Administrator in trust shall be used only for carrying out such trust. The provisions of chapter 91 of title 31 shall be applicable to the Administrator in the same manner as they are applied to the wholly owned Government corporations named in section 9101 of title 31, but nothing in section 9105(d) of title 31 shall be construed as affecting the powers granted in subsection (b)(11) of this section and in section 832a(f), 832i(b), and 832k(a) of this title.
(d)Audit of financial transactions by Comptroller General; report to Congress
Notwithstanding the provisions of section 9105 and 9106 of title 31, the financial transactions of the Administrator shall be audited by the Comptroller General at such times and to such extent as the Comptroller General deems necessary, and reports of the results of each such audit shall be made to the Congress within 6½ months following the end of the fiscal year covered by the audit.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
Executive Order Numbered 8526 dated August 26, 1940, referred to in subsec. (a), is not classified to the Code. The Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(12), is Pub. L. 96–501, Dec. 5, 1980, 94 Stat. 2697, which is classified principally to chapter 12H (§ 839 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 839 of this title and Tables. Section 9105 of title 31, referred to in subsec. (c), was amended generally by Pub. L. 101–576, title III, § 305, Nov. 15, 1990, 104 Stat. 2853, and, as so amended, does not contain a subsec. (d). Codification In subsec. (c), “chapter 91 of title 31”, “section 9101 of title 31”, and “section 9105(d) of title 31” substituted for “the Government Corporation Control Act (31 U.S.C. 841 et seq.)”, “section 101 of such Act (31 U.S.C. 846)”, and “the proviso in section 850 of title 31, United States Code,”, respectively, on authority of Pub. L. 97–258, § 4(b), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1067, the first section of which enacted Title 31, Money and Finance. In subsec. (d), “section 9105 and 9106 of title 31” substituted for “section 105 and 106 of the Government Corporation Control Act [31 U.S.C. 850, 851]” on authority of Pub. L. 97–258, § 4(b), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1067, the first section of which enacted Title 31.
Amendments
1980—Subsec. (b)(6)(iv). Pub. L. 96–501, § 8(a), added cl. (iv). Subsec. (b)(12). Pub. L. 96–501, § 8(b), added par. (12).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1980 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 96–501 effective Dec. 5, 1980, see section 11 of Pub. L. 96–501, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 839 of this title.
Transfer of Functions
“Secretary of Energy” substituted for “Secretary of the Interior” in subsec. (a) and “Department of Energy” substituted for “Department of Interior” in subsec. (b)(11) pursuant to Pub. L. 95–91, § 302(a)(1)(D), which is classified to section 7152(a)(1)(D) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. Functions of Secretary of the Interior with respect to Bonneville Power Administration transferred to Secretary of Energy by section 7152(a)(1)(D), (2) of Title 42, with Bonneville Power Administration to be preserved as a distinct organizational entity within Department of Energy and headed by an Administrator. Bonneville Power Administration Fund: State clean energy programs Pub. L. 116–94, div. C, title III, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 2675, provided in part that: “Expenditures from the Bonneville Power Administration Fund, established pursuant to Public Law 93–454 are authorized and approved, without fiscal year limitation, for the cost of current and future year purchases or payments of emissions expenses associated with Bonneville Power Administration power and transmission operations in states with clean energy programs: Provided further, This expenditure authorization is limited solely to Bonneville Power Administration’s voluntary purchase or payments made in conjunction with state clean energy programs and is not a broader waiver of Bonneville Power Administration’s sovereign immunity.” Authority To Incur Obligations in Excess of Borrowing Authority and Cash in Fund Pub. L. 100–371, title III, July 19, 1988, 102 Stat. 869, provided that: “Without fiscal year limitation, the Bonneville Power Administration continues to be authorized to incur obligations for authorized purposes and may do so in excess of borrowing authority and cash in the Bonneville Power Administration Fund.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
16 U.S.C. § 838i
Title 16, Conservation
Last Updated
Sep 23, 2026
Release point: 119-110