S.Amdt. 3135

SA 3135. Mrs. McCASKILL submitted an amendment intended to be
proposed to amendment SA 2953 proposed by Ms. Murkowski to the bill S.
2012, to provide for the modernization of the energy policy of the
United States, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the
table; as follows:

At the end of title III, add the following:

Subtitle I--Purchase Power Drought Fund

SEC. 3801. ESTABLISHMENT OF PURCHASE POWER DROUGHT FUND.

(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Southwestern Power Administration.

[[Page S397]]

(2) Fund.--The term ``Fund'' means the Purchase Power
Drought Fund established under subsection (c).
(3) Purchase power drought adder.--The term ``purchase
power drought adder'' means the special rate component
assessed under subsection (b)(1).
(b) Special Rate Component.--
(1) In general.--Notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31,
United States Code, the Administrator may assess a special
rate component to be known as a ``purchase power drought
adder'' independent of and in addition to other existing rate
components.
(2) Collection of amounts.--The Administrator shall--
(A) collect amounts from the purchase power drought adder
in advance of need; and
(B) deposit those amounts in the Fund for use in accordance
with subsection (c)(1).
(3) Limitation.--The purchase power drought adder shall not
be used to offset or displace other charges made in the
normal course of the rate setting process of the Southwestern
Power Administration.
(c) Establishment of Fund.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall
establish in the Treasury of the United States a separate
fund to be known as the ``Purchase Power Drought Fund'', from
which the Administrator may use amounts during extended
below-average water conditions--
(A) for necessary expenses of the Southwestern Power
Administration for purchase power and wheeling; and
(B) to minimize the use, during those conditions, of the
continuing fund established by the matter under the heading
``Office of the Secretary'' in title I of the Interior
Department Appropriation Act, 1950 (16 U.S.C. 825s-1).
(2) Deposits.--The Administrator shall deposit in the Fund
the amounts collected from the assessment of the purchase
power drought adder under subsection (b) and such amounts
shall be available to the Administrator without further
appropriation or fiscal year limitation.
(3) Limitation.--The Administrator shall expend from the
Fund only those amounts collected and deposited in advance.
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