(1) Each applicant for a site certificate shall submit to the Energy Facility Siting Council a notice of intent to file an application for a site certificate. The notice of intent must provide information about the proposed site and the characteristics of the facility sufficient for the preparation of the State Department of Energy’s project order.
(2) The council shall cause public notice to be given upon receipt of a notice of intent by the council. The public notice shall provide a description of the proposed site and facility in sufficient detail to inform the public of the location and proposed use of the site.
(3) Following review of the notice of intent and any public comments received in response to the notice of intent, the department may hold a preapplication conference with state agencies and local governments that have regulatory or advisory responsibility with respect to the facility. After the preapplication conference, the department shall issue a project order establishing the statutes, administrative rules, council standards, local ordinances, application requirements and study requirements for the site certificate application. A project order is not a final order.
(4) A project order issued under subsection (3) of this section may be amended at any time by either the department or the council.