§ 162. Board certificate. 1. Following the promulgation of rules and regulations pursuant to paragraphs (f) and (g) of subdivision one of section one hundred sixty-four of this article, and section 19-0312 of the environmental conservation law, no person shall commence the preparation of a site for, or begin the construction of a major electric generating facility in the state, or increase the capacity of an existing electric generating facility by more than twenty-five thousand kilowatts without having first obtained a certificate issued with respect to such facility by the board. Any such facility with respect to which a certificate is issued shall not thereafter be built, maintained or operated except in conformity with such certificate and any terms, limitations or conditions contained therein, provided that nothing herein shall exempt such facility from compliance with federal, state and local laws and regulations except as otherwise provided in this article. A certificate for a major electric generating facility, or an increase in the capacity of an existing electric generating facility by more than twenty-five thousand kilowatts, may be issued only pursuant to this article. 2. A certificate may be transferred, subject to the approval of the board, to a person who agrees to comply with the terms, limitations and conditions contained therein. 3. A certificate issued under this article may be amended pursuant to this section. 4. This article shall not apply: (a) To a major electric generating facility over which any agency or department of the federal government has exclusive siting jurisdiction, or has jurisdiction concurrent with that of the state and has exercised such jurisdiction to the exclusion of regulation of the facility by the state;

(b) To normal repairs, replacements, modifications and improvements of a major electric generating facility, whenever built, which do not constitute a violation of any certificate issued under this article and which do not result in an increase in capacity of the facility of more than twenty-five thousand kilowatts; * (c) To a major electric generating facility (i) constructed on lands dedicated to industrial uses, (ii) the output of which shall be used solely for industrial purposes, on the premises, and (iii) the generating capacity of which does not exceed two hundred thousand kilowatts; * NB Effective until December 31, 2030 * (c) To a major electric generating facility (i) constructed on lands dedicated to industrial uses, (ii) the output of which shall be used solely for industrial purposes, on the premises, and (iii) the generating capacity of which does not exceed two hundred thousand kilowatts; or * NB Effective December 31, 2030 * (d) To a major electric generating facility if, on or before the effective date of the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this article and section 19-0312 of the environmental conservation law, an application has been made for a license, permit, certificate, consent or approval from any federal, state or local commission, agency, board or regulatory body, in which application the location of the major electric generating facility has been designated by the applicant; or if the facility is under construction at such time; or * NB Effective until December 31, 2030 * (d) To a major electric generating facility if, on or before the effective date of the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this article and section 19-0312 of the environmental conservation law, an application has been made for a license, permit, certificate, consent or approval from any federal, state or local commission, agency, board or regulatory body, in which application the location of the major electric generating facility has been designated by the applicant; or if the facility is under construction at such time. * NB Effective December 31, 2030 * (e) To a major renewable energy facility as such term is defined in section ninety-four-c of the executive law; provided, however, that any person intending to construct a major renewable energy facility, that has a draft pre-application public involvement program plan pursuant to section one hundred sixty-three of this article and the regulations implementing this article, which is pending with the siting board as of the effective date of this paragraph may remain subject to the provisions of this article or, may, by written notice to the secretary of the commission, elect to become subject to the provisions of section ninety-four-c of the executive law. * NB Repealed December 31, 2030 5. Any person intending to construct a major electric generating facility excluded from this article pursuant to paragraph (b), (c), or (d) of subdivision four of this section may elect to become subject to the provisions of this article by delivering notice of such election to the chair of the board. This article shall thereafter apply to each electric generating facility identified in such notice from the date of its receipt by the chair of the board. For the purposes of this article, each such facility shall be treated in the same manner as a major electric generating facility as defined in this article.