Federal Power Act of 1920, United States
Published: September 4, 2008, 10:22 pm
Updated: September 4, 2008, 10:22 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Cutler J. Cleveland
Hoover Dam on the Colorado River. Photo: Bureau of Reclamation
The Federal Power Act of 1920, also known as the Federal Water Power Act, encouraged the development of hydroelectric projects, such as dams and reservoirs. The Act established the Federal Power Commission (FPC), which was run by the Secretaries of War, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of the Interior. These agencies were primarily responsible for issuing licenses to non-federal hydropower projects that affected navigable waters, occupied federal lands, affected the interests of interstate commerce, or used water or water power from government-operated dams.
In a 1935 amendment, the FPC’s regulatory power was enhanced, charging the agency with the responsibility to oversee all interstate transmission and sale rates of electric power. The amendment ensured reasonable electricity rates and changed the structure of the FPC to include five commissioners nominated by the President. Congress later abolished the FPC when it created the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in 1977. The FERC inherited most of the duties previously carried out by the FPC.
The original 1920 Act was amended as follows:
- Chapter 129, March 3, 1921; 41 Stat. 1353.
- Chapter 572, June 23, 1930; 46 Stat. 799
- Chapter 687, August 26, 1935; 49 Stat. 803.
- Chapter 782, October 28, 1949; 63 Stat. 954
- P.L. 247, October 31, 1951; 65 Stat. 701.
- P.L. 87-647, September 7, 1962; 76 Stat. 447.
- P.L. 95-617, November 9, 1978; 92 Stat. 3117.
- P.L. 96-294, June 30, 1980; 94 Stat. 611.
- P.L. 97-375, December 21, 1982; 96 Stat. 1819.
- P.L. 99-495, October 16, 1986; 100 Stat. 1243.
- P.L. 102-486, October 24, 1992; 106 Stat. 3097.
- P.L. 103-347, November 2, 1994; 108 Stat. 4585.
- P.L. 104-66, December 21, 1995; 109 Stat. 718.
These public laws appear in Chapter 12 of the U.S. Code, Federal Regulation and Development of Power, Subchapter I, Regulation of the Development of Water Power and Resources. The original statute was enacted in 1920. Many of the subsequent amendments have not involved resource issues; however, the 1935 and 1986 amendments added new requirements to incorporate fish and wildlife concerns in licensing, relicensing, and exemption procedures.
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Citation
Ida Kubiszewski PhD (Lead Author);Cutler J. Cleveland (Topic Editor) "Federal Power Act of 1920, United States". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth September 4, 2008; Last revised Date September 4, 2008; Retrieved May 24, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Federal_Power_Act_of_1920,_United_States>
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Dr. Ida Kubiszewski is a Senior Lecturer at the Crawford School of Public Policy at Australian National University. She is also a co-founder and former-Managing Editor the Encyclopedia of Earth. Dr. Kubiszewki is currently working as the Managing Editor for a magazine/journal hybrid called Solutions. Solutions is an outlet for discussions focusing on solutions to the complex problems we are now facing in ... (Full Bio)
Hoover Dam on the Colorado River. Photo: Bureau of Reclamation
The Federal Power Act of 1920, also known as the Federal Water Power Act, encouraged the development of hydroelectric projects, such as dams and reservoirs. The Act established the Federal Power Commission (FPC), which was run by the Secretaries of War, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of the Interior. These agencies were primarily responsible for issuing licenses to non-federal hydropower projects that affected navigable waters, occupied federal lands, affected the interests of interstate commerce, or used water or water power from government-operated dams.
In a 1935 amendment, the FPC’s regulatory power was enhanced, charging the agency with the responsibility to oversee all interstate transmission and sale rates of electric power. The amendment ensured reasonable electricity rates and changed the structure of the FPC to include five commissioners nominated by the President. Congress later abolished the FPC when it created the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in 1977. The FERC inherited most of the duties previously carried out by the FPC.
The original 1920 Act was amended as follows:
- Chapter 129, March 3, 1921; 41 Stat. 1353.
- Chapter 572, June 23, 1930; 46 Stat. 799
- Chapter 687, August 26, 1935; 49 Stat. 803.
- Chapter 782, October 28, 1949; 63 Stat. 954
- P.L. 247, October 31, 1951; 65 Stat. 701.
- P.L. 87-647, September 7, 1962; 76 Stat. 447.
- P.L. 95-617, November 9, 1978; 92 Stat. 3117.
- P.L. 96-294, June 30, 1980; 94 Stat. 611.
- P.L. 97-375, December 21, 1982; 96 Stat. 1819.
- P.L. 99-495, October 16, 1986; 100 Stat. 1243.
- P.L. 102-486, October 24, 1992; 106 Stat. 3097.
- P.L. 103-347, November 2, 1994; 108 Stat. 4585.
- P.L. 104-66, December 21, 1995; 109 Stat. 718.
These public laws appear in Chapter 12 of the U.S. Code, Federal Regulation and Development of Power, Subchapter I, Regulation of the Development of Water Power and Resources. The original statute was enacted in 1920. Many of the subsequent amendments have not involved resource issues; however, the 1935 and 1986 amendments added new requirements to incorporate fish and wildlife concerns in licensing, relicensing, and exemption procedures.
Further Reading
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