Power requirements of Central Arizona Project and augmentation of Lower Colorado River Basin Development Fund

The Secretary is authorized and directed to continue to a conclusion appropriate engineering and economic studies and to recommend the most feasible plan for the construction and operation of hydroelectric generating and transmission facilities, the purchase of electrical energy, the purchase of entitlement to electrical plant capacity, or any combination thereof, including participation, operation, or construction by non-Federal entities, for the purpose of supplying the power requirements of the Central Arizona Project and augmenting the Lower Colorado River Basin Development Fund: Provided, That nothing in this section or in this chapter contained shall be construed to authorize the study or construction of any dams on the main stream of the Colorado River between Hoover Dam and Glen Canyon Dam. If included as a part of the recommended plan, the Secretary may enter into agreements with non-Federal interests proposing to construct thermal generating powerplants whereby the United States shall acquire the right to such portions of their capacity, including delivery of power and energy over appurtenant transmission facilities to mutually agreed upon delivery points, as he determines is required in connection with the operation of the Central Arizona Project. When not required for the Central Arizona Project, the power and energy acquired by such agreements may be disposed of intermittently by the Secretary for other purposes at such prices as he may determine, including its marketing in conjunction with the sale of power and energy from Federal powerplants in the Colorado River system so as to produce the greatest practicable amount of power and energy that can be sold at firm power and energy rates. The agreements shall provide among other things, that— No later than one year from September 30, 1968, the Secretary shall submit his recommended plan to the Congress. Except as authorized by subsection (b) of this section, such plan shall not become effective until approved by the Congress. If any thermal generating plant referred to in subsection (b) of this section is located in Arizona, and if it is served by water diverted from the drainage area of the Colorado River system above Lee Ferry, other provisions of existing law to the contrary notwithstanding, such consumptive use of water shall be a part of the fifty thousand acre-feet per annum apportioned to the State of Arizona by article III(a) of the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact (63 Stat. 31).