1. A county shall not commence the construction of a project for the generation and transmission of electricity to be financed pursuant to NRS 244A.669 to 244A.763, inclusive, until the Legislature approves the project in general terms and fixes the limit of the capacity of its generating facilities. After a project is originally so approved, no further legislative approval is required except the addition of generating facilities. For the purposes of this subsection, construction is commenced when excavation is begun for the foundations of a unit for the generation of electricity.
2. Approval by the Legislature does not preempt the authority of any state regulatory agency, including, without limitation, the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, the State Environmental Commission and the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The county shall determine, with the concurrence of the management committee, the capacity of the project to generate electricity, within the limit fixed by the Legislature. This determination must be made before the county applies to the Public Utilities Commission for a permit to construct any generating unit.
(Added to NRS by 1979, 681; A 1997, 1977)