2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title XII - Public Safety and Welfare › Chapter 162-H - Energy Facility Evaluation, Siting, Construction and Operation › Section 162-H:3 - Site Evaluation Committee Established.

162-H:3 Site Evaluation Committee Established. –
I. There is hereby established a committee to be known as the New Hampshire site evaluation committee consisting of 9 members, as follows:
(a) The commissioners of the public utilities commission, the chairperson of which shall be the chairperson of the committee;
(b) The commissioner of the department of environmental services, who shall be the vice-chairperson of the committee, the commissioner may appoint a designee, but such designee shall not serve as vice-chairperson;
(c) The commissioner of the department of business and economic affairs or designee;
(d) The commissioner of the department of transportation, or designee;
(e) The commissioner of the department of natural and cultural resources, the director of the division of historical resources, or designee; and
(f) Two members of the public, appointed by the governor, with the consent of the council, in accordance with RSA 162-H:4-b, III.
II. All members, including those who sit for a member recused under paragraph VI, shall refrain from ex parte communications regarding any matter pending before the committee. This prohibition shall extend to those who sit on any subcommittee formed under RSA 162-H:4-a.
III. Five members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of conducting the committee's business.
IV. The committee shall be administratively attached to the department of energy pursuant to RSA 21-G:10.
V. The chairperson shall serve as the chief executive of the committee and may:
(a) Delegate to other members the duties of presiding officer, as appropriate.
(b) Perform administrative actions for the committee, as may a presiding officer.
(c) Establish, with the consent of the committee, the budgetary requirements of the committee.
(d) Engage personnel in accordance with this chapter.
(e) Form subcommittees pursuant to RSA 162-H:4-a.
VI. If at any time a member must recuse himself or herself on a matter or is not otherwise available for good reason, such person, if a state employee, may designate a senior administrative employee or a staff attorney from his or her agency to sit on the committee. In the case of a public member, the procedure outlined in RSA 162-H:4-b, VI shall be followed.
VII. All committee members and designees shall on an annual basis complete a comprehensive intensive training program on the provisions of RSA 162-H and the administrative rules adopted thereunder with respect to reviewing and evaluating applications for a certificate of site and facility, as well as training regarding energy infrastructure. All new committee members, and any designee to a subcommittee pursuant to RSA 162-H:4-a, II or III, shall complete the training program prior to serving on, respectively, any committee or subcommittee proceeding. The legal training shall be conducted by the department of justice and the training regarding energy infrastructure shall be conducted by the department of energy.
Source.
1991, 295:1. 1995, 310:182. 1996, 228:41. 1997, 298:25. 2002, 247:2. 2003, 319:9. 2004, 257:44. 2007, 364:4. 2009, 65:5, eff. Aug. 8, 2009. 2014, 217:6, eff. July 1, 2014. 2015, 219:2, eff. July 8, 2015. 2017, 156:61, eff. July 1, 2017. 2018, 216:1, eff. Aug. 7, 2018. 2021, 91:227, eff. July 1, 2021. 2022, 176:1-3, eff. Aug. 6, 2022.