Section 162-H:7 Application for Certificate.
I. [Repealed.]
II. All applications for a certificate for an energy facility shall be filed with the chairman of the site evaluation committee.
III. Upon filing of an application, the committee shall expeditiously conduct a preliminary review to ascertain if the application contains sufficient information to carry out the purposes of this chapter. If the application does not contain such sufficient information, the committee shall, in writing, expeditiously notify the applicant of that fact and specify what information the applicant must supply.
IV. Each application shall contain sufficient information to satisfy the application requirements of each state agency having jurisdiction, under state or federal law, to regulate any aspect of the construction or operation of the proposed facility, and shall include each agency's completed application forms. Upon the filing of an application, the committee shall expeditiously forward a copy to the state agencies having jurisdiction. Upon receipt of a copy, each agency shall conduct a preliminary review to ascertain if the application contains sufficient information for its purposes. If the application does not contain sufficient information for the purposes of any of the state agencies having jurisdiction, that agency shall, in writing, notify the committee of that fact and specify what information the applicant must supply; thereupon the committee shall provide the applicant with a copy of such notification and specification. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for purposes of the time limitations imposed by this section, any application made under this section shall be deemed not accepted either by the committee or by any of the state agencies having jurisdiction if the applicant is seasonably notified that it has not supplied sufficient information for any of the state agencies having jurisdiction in accordance with this paragraph.
V. Each application shall also:
(a) Describe in reasonable detail the type and size of each major part of the proposed facility.
(b) Identify both the preferred choice and any other choices for the site of each major part of the proposed facility.
(c) Describe in reasonable detail the impact of each major part of the proposed facility on the environment for each site proposed.
(d) Describe in reasonable detail the applicant's proposals for studying and solving environmental problems.
(e) Describe in reasonable detail the applicant's financial, technical, and managerial capability for construction and operation of the proposed facility.
(f) Document that written notification of the proposed project, including appropriate copies of the application, has been given to the appropriate governing body of each community in which the facility is proposed to be located.
(g) Provide such additional information as the committee may require to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
VI. The committee shall decide whether or not to accept the application within 60 days of filing. If the committee rejects an application because it determines it to be administratively incomplete, the applicant may choose to file a new and more complete application or cure the defects in the rejected application within 10 days of receipt of notification of rejection.
VI-a. Within 30 days after acceptance of the application, the committee shall hold at least one public hearing in each county in which the proposed facility is to be located, in accordance with RSA 162-H:10.
VI-b. All participating state agencies shall report their progress to the committee within 5 months of the acceptance of the application, outlining draft permit conditions and specifying additional data requirements necessary to make a final decision.
VI-c. All participating state agencies shall make and submit to the committee a final decision on the parts of the application that relate to its jurisdiction, no later than 8 months after the application has been accepted.
VI-d. Within 9 months of the acceptance of an application, the committee shall issue or deny a certificate for an energy facility.
VI-e. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the committee shall employ the time frames specified under RSA 162-H:6-a to any proposal for the upgrade of the transmission system considered part of the Coos county loop.
VII. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the application shall be in lieu of separate applications that may be required by any other state agencies.
VIII. This chapter shall not preclude an agency from imposing its usual statutory fees.
IX. The applicant shall immediately inform the committee of any substantive modification to its application.
Source. 1991, 295:1, eff. Jan. 1, 1992. 2009, 65:11-13, 24, VII, eff. Aug. 8, 2009.