Sec. 08.13.01.02. Guidelines for Research Reimbursement

A. Purpose. This regulation provides guidelines to the State's electric companies for preparation of requests for reimbursement for environmental research specifically required to satisfy application and permit requirements by federal, State, and local regulatory agencies under the Natural Resources Article, §3-302, Annotated Code of Maryland (hereinafter "the Act"). The objective of §3-302 of the Act is to coordinate environmental research with respect to power plant siting in order to prevent the dissipation of money, time, and effort and in order to ensure that the environmental research subject to reimbursement is required, useful, and of the highest quality.

B. Policy.

(1) The electric company shall submit its request for reimbursement to the Secretary of Natural Resources at least 90 days before the proposed research project is to begin. A request for reimbursement for a research project shall indicate that:

(a) When possible, three independent contractors' detailed proposals for the proposed research project were evaluated by the electric company;

(b) The contractor selected was recommended by an impartial panel;

(c) Applicable data, information, or reports, not requiring updating or revision, are not available to the company which would serve the same purpose as the proposed research project;

(d) The electric company will take responsibility and pay from its own funds for any duplicated data or materials;

(e) The electric company gives a real-time access to the data collected to the Power Plant Siting Program.

(2) The reimbursement request shall include a research project plan setting forth a well-defined scope of work, objectives, methodology, and cost ceiling, if possible; otherwise, estimate of man-days and notice of charge rate. The Secretary of Natural Resources shall notify the electric company within 60 days thereafter whether he rejects or accepts the reimbursement request. The request may be rejected by the Secretary on the grounds that the research will dissipate money, time, and effort unnecessarily or is a duplication of other environmental research work already being undertaken. If the reimbursement request is accepted, it will be submitted by the Secretary of Natural Resources in the next annual budget. Any reimbursement pursuant to the Natural Resources Article, §3-301, Annotated Code of Maryland, is contingent upon the funds being approved by the Legislature. On an approved long-range research project extending beyond a year, which receives Legislative approval, payment will be made for funds expended during the previous fiscal year. Payment will be reduced to certain companies by that percentage of revenue not paid by the company to the Environmental Trust Fund for electricity generated in Maryland.

C. Supplementary Guidelines. The Secretary of Natural Resources, after examining the reimbursement research proposals and agency procedures with respect to the reimbursement research proposals, will issue any supplements to these guidelines that are necessary.