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Show 283 project at any time by condemnation proceedings upon pay- ment of just compensation.138 In this connection, it may be noted that the Act specifies certain circumstances in which a licensee may exercise the right of eminent domain.139 Imposition of Charges.-In the case of projects on streams under the commerce authority of Congress, the Act makes no provision for imposition of a charge for the license privilege, as such, except for nonfederal power plants at government dams. This, it will be remembered, was one of the most con- troversial issues of the 1900-1920 period. The Act does require, however, that the licensee pay rea- sonable annual charges for reimbursing the United States for the costs of administering the licensing provisions, and for recompensing it for the occupancy of its lands or other prop- erty.140 Also, annual charges must include an amount for expropriation to the Government of "excessive profits" until the respective states make provision for preventing excessive profits or for expropriation thereof to themselves, or until the period of amortization is reached.141 In fixing annual charges, the Commission must seek to avoid increasing the price to the consumers of power by such charges.142 Special provisions are included for the fixing of charges in the case of use of government dams or Indian tribal lands.143 State and municipal licensees are granted an exemption from payment of annual charges if the power "is sold to the public 138 § 14, 41 Stat. 1071, as amended, 16 U. S. C. 807. 189 § 21, 41 Stat. 1074,16 U. S. O. 814. 140 § 10(e), 41 Stat. 1069, as amended, 16 U. S. O. 803(e). For the form- ulae employed by the Commission, see 18 O. F. K. 11.20, 11.21. 141 Id. li2Id. 143 Id. A Commission regulation stipulates that, with certain exceptions, charges in the case of government dams "will be based upon the estimated value for power purposes of the properties and privileges." 18 C. F. R. 11.22. However, its published opinions do not give the method followed in all de- tails in arriving at the actual charge. See, e. g., licenses for the London and Marmet power plants on the Kanawha River, West Virginia, Project NO. 1175, FOURTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE FEDERAL POWER COMMISSION, p. 147 (1935). |