---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 832a"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "832a"
heading: "General administrative provisions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/832a"
units:
  - "Chapter 12B — Bonneville Project"
---

# §832a. General administrative provisions

- (a) **Appointment of Administrator; powers and duties—** The electric energy generated in the operation of the said Bonneville [project](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4) shall be disposed of by the said [administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) as provided in this chapter. The [administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) shall be appointed by the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of Energy; shall be responsible to said [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of Energy; and shall maintain his principal office at a place selected by him in the vicinity of the Bonneville [project](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4).

  The [Administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) shall, as in this chapter provided, make all arrangements for the sale and disposition of electric energy generated at Bonneville [project](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4) not required for the operation of the dam and locks at such [project](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4) and the navigation facilities employed in connection therewith. He shall act in consultation with the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of Energy. The form of administration established in this chapter for the Bonneville [project](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4) is intended to be provisional pending the establishment of a permanent administration for Bonneville and other [projects](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4) in the Columbia River Basin. The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of the Army shall install and maintain additional machinery, equipment, and facilities for the generation of electric energy at the Bonneville [project](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4) when in the judgment of the [administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) such additional generating facilities are desirable to meet actual or potential market requirements for such electric energy. The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of the Army shall schedule the operations of the several electrical generating [units](/usc/16/430f–7.md?p=4) and appurtenant equipment of the Bonneville [project](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4) in accordance with the requirements of the [administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a). The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of the Army shall provide and maintain for the use of the [administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) at said Bonneville [project](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4) adequate station space and equipment, including such switches, switchboards, instruments, and dispatching facilities as may be required by the [administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) for proper reception, handling, and dispatching of the electric energy produced at the said [project](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4), together with transformers and other equipment required by the [administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) for the transmission of such energy from that place at suitable voltage to the markets which the [administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) desires to serve.

  The office of the [Administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) of the Bonneville [project](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4) is constituted an office in the Department of Energy and shall be under the jurisdiction and control of the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of Energy. All functions vested in the [Administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) of the Bonneville [project](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4) under this chapter may be exercised by the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of Energy and, subject to his supervision and direction, by the [Administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) and other personnel of the [project](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4).

- (b) **Electric transmission lines and equipment—** In order to encourage the widest possible use of all electric energy that can be generated and marketed and to provide reasonable outlets therefor, and to prevent the monopolization thereof by limited groups, the [administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) is authorized and directed to provide, construct, operate, maintain, and improve such electric transmission lines and substations, and facilities and structures appurtenant thereto, as he finds necessary, desirable, or appropriate for the purpose of transmitting electric energy, available for sale, from the Bonneville [project](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4) to existing and potential markets, and, for the purpose of [interchange](/usc/16/521c.md?p=2) of electric energy, to interconnect the Bonneville [project](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4) with other Federal [projects](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4) and publicly owned power systems constructed on or after August 20, 1937.
- (c) **Acquisition of property—** The [administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) is authorized, in the name of the United States, to [acquire](/usc/16/620e.md?p=1), by purchase, lease, condemnation, or donation, such real and personal property, or any interest therein, including lands, easements, rights-of-way, franchises, electric transmission lines, substations, and facilities and structures appurtenant thereto, as the [administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) finds necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this chapter. Title to all property and property rights acquired by the [administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) shall be taken in the name of the United States.
- (d) **Condemnation—** The [administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) shall have power to [acquire](/usc/16/620e.md?p=1) any property or property rights, including patent rights, which in his opinion are necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter, by the exercise of the right of eminent domain and to institute condemnation proceedings therefor in the same manner as is provided by law for the condemnation of real estate.
- (e) **Disposal of property—** The [administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) is authorized, in the name of the United States, to sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of such personal property as in his judgment is not required for the purposes of this chapter and such real property and interests in land acquired in connection with construction or operation of electric transmission lines or substations as in his judgment are not required for the purposes of this chapter: Provided, however, That before the sale, lease, or disposition of real property or transmission lines, as herein provided, the [administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) shall secure the approval of the President of the United States.
- (f) **Contracts—** Subject only to the provisions of this chapter, the [Administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) is authorized to enter into such contracts, agreements, and arrangements, including the amendment, modification, adjustment, or cancelation[^1] thereof and the compromise or final settlement of any claim arising thereunder, and to make such expenditures, upon such terms and conditions and in such manner as he may deem necessary.

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. Probably should be “cancellation”.

## Source credit

(Aug. 20, 1937, ch. 720, § 2, 50 Stat. 732; Mar. 6, 1940, ch. 47, §§ 1, 2, 54 Stat. 47; Oct. 23, 1945, ch. 433, §§ 1, 5, 59 Stat. 546, 547; July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title II, § 205(a), 61 Stat. 501; 1965 Reorg. Plan No. 4, §§ 11(c), 13(a), eff. July 27, 1965, 30 F.R. 9353, 79 Stat. 1321; Pub. L. 95–91, title III, § 302(a)(1)(D), (2), Aug. 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 578.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Provisions of the first par. of subsec. (a) which prescribed the compensation of the Administrator were omitted as compensation of the Administrator is prescribed by section 5316 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

### Amendments

1945—Subsec. (a). Act Oct. 23, 1945, § 5, struck out provisions relating to the appointment and compensation of an Assistant Administrator, chief engineer and general counsel and to the powers and duties of the Assistant Administrator. See section 832i of this title.

Subsec. (f). Act Oct. 23, 1945, § 1, substituted “is authorized to enter into such contracts, agreements, and arrangements, including the amendment, modification, adjustment, or cancelation thereof and the compromise or final settlement of any claim arising thereunder, and to make such expenditures, upon such terms and conditions and in such manner as he may deem necessary” for “is authorized, in the name of the United States, to negotiate and enter into such contracts, agreements, and arrangements as he shall find necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this chapter”.

1940—Subsec. (a). Act Mar. 6, 1940, inserted provisions relating to jurisdiction and functions of administrator.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Change of Name

Department of War designated Department of the Army and title of Secretary of War changed to Secretary of the Army by section 205(a) of act July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title II, 61 Stat. 501. Section 205(a) of act July 26, 1947, was repealed by section 53 of act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 641. Section 1 of act Aug. 10, 1956, enacted “Title 10, Armed Forces” which in sections 3010 to 3013 continued military Department of the Army under administrative supervision of Secretary of the Army.

### Repeals

Act Mar. 6, 1940, ch. 47, § 1, 54 Stat. 47, cited as a credit to this section, was repealed by Pub. L. 89–554, § 8(a), Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 650.

### Transfer of Functions

In subsec. (a), “Secretary of Energy” substituted for “Secretary of the Interior” in five places and “Department of Energy” substituted for “Department of the Interior” pursuant to Pub. L. 95–91, § 302(a)(1)(D), (2), which is classified to section 7152(a)(1)(D), (2) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, and which transferred functions of Secretary of the Interior with respect to Bonneville Power Administration to Secretary of Energy, with Bonneville Power Administration to be preserved as a distinct organizational entity within Department of Energy and headed by an Administrator.

### Executive Documents

### Transfer of Functions

Provisions of the second sentence of the second par. of subsec. (a), which related to the advisory board and its composition, were omitted pursuant to Reorg. Plan No. 4 of 1965, §§ 11(c) and 13(a), set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, which abolished the advisory board and transferred its functions, including the functions of the chairman and other officers, to the Secretary of the Interior.

For transfer of functions of other officers, employees, and agencies of Department of the Interior, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Interior, with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, §§ 1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1262, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.