Section 162-H:3 - Site Evaluation Committee EstablishedI. There is hereby established a committee to be known as the New Hampshire site evaluation committee consisting of 5 members, as follows: (a) The 3 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; and(c) One public member and, when required pursuant to paragraph VI, an alternate public member, both of whom shall be appointed as described in RSA 162-H:4-b. 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.III. Three members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of conducting the committee's business, except that the 3 public utilities commissioners alone shall not constitute a quorum.IV. The committee shall be administratively attached to the public utilities commission.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.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. The commissioner of the department of environmental services may, with the consent of the respective commissioner or director, and subject to the approval of the chairperson, designate a senior administrative employee from the department of transportation, the department of natural and cultural resources, the department of business and economic affairs, the division of historical resources, or the department of fish and game, to sit on the committee. In the case of the public member, the alternate public member shall serve as set forth in RSA 162-H:4-b.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.Amended by 2024, 212:3, eff. 7/19/2024.Amended by 2022 , 176: §§2, 3 eff. 8/6/2022.Amended by 2022 , 176: 1, eff. 8/6/2022.Amended by 2021 , 91: 227, eff. 7/1/2021.Amended by 2018 , 216: 1, eff. 8/7/2018.Amended by 2017 , 156: 61, eff. 7/1/2017.Amended by 2015 , 219: 2, eff. 7/8/2015.Amended by 2014 , 217: 6, eff. 7/1/2014. 1991, 295:1. 1995, 310:182. 1996, 228:41. 1997, 298:25, eff. June 20, 1997. 2002, 247:2, eff. July 16, 2002. 2003, 319:9, eff. July 1, 2003. 2004, 257:44, eff. July 1, 2004. 2007, 364:4, eff. July 17, 2007. 2009, 65:5, eff. Aug. 8, 2009.