16 U.S.C. § 809
Section 809 · Temporary use by Government of project works for national safety; compensation for use
This is § 16 of the Federal Power Act of 1920
Amended 2 times on record
Applied in 5 court decisions — leading case Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952)
Most recently applied in Georgia Power Co. v. 54.20 Acres of Land (November 1977)
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
When in the opinion of the President of the United States, evidenced by a written order addressed to the holder of any license under this chapter, the safety of the United States demands it, the United States shall have the right to enter upon and take possession of any project or part thereof, constructed, maintained, or operated under said license, for the purpose of manufacturing nitrates, explosives, or munitions of war, or for any other purpose involving the safety of the United States, to retain possession, management, and control thereof for such length of time as may appear to the President to be necessary to accomplish said purposes, and then to restore possession and control to the party or parties entitled thereto; and in the event that the United States shall exercise such right it shall pay to the party or parties entitled thereto just and fair compensation for the use of said property as may be fixed by the commission upon the basis of a reasonable profit in time of peace, and the cost of restoring said property to as good condition as existed at the time of the taking over thereof, less the reasonable value of any improvements that may be made thereto by the United States and which are valuable and serviceable to the licensee.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Transfer of Functions
Federal Power Commission terminated and its functions, personnel, property, funds, etc., transferred to Secretary of Energy (except for certain functions transferred to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) by sections 7151(b), 7171(a), 7172(a), 7291, and 7293 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.
Termination of War and Emergencies
Joint Res. July 25, 1947, ch. 327, §3, 61 Stat. 451, provided that in the interpretation of this section, the date July 25, 1947, shall be deemed to be the date of termination of any state of war theretofore declared by Congress and of the national emergencies proclaimed by the President on September 8, 1939, and May 27, 1941.