(2) All applications submitted under ORS 470.060 shall be reviewed by the State Department of Energy. The department may request that the applicant submit additional information or revise the application. The department shall:
(a) Determine whether the application meets the standards and criteria adopted under subsection (1) of this section; and
(b) Recommend approval or denial of the loan application, and if approval is recommended in what amount the loan should be made.
(3) After concluding its review, unless the application meets the criteria established by the committee under subsection (4) of this section, the department shall refer the application and its findings and recommendation to the committee for its review. The department shall notify the applicant of the date, time and place of any oral presentation to the committee on the application. The committee shall review the application and the department’s findings and recommendations and advise the director whether the proposed small scale local energy project meets the criteria established by the director under subsection (1) of this section, whether the project should be financed with moneys from the Small Scale Local Energy Project Loan Fund and in what amount the loan should be made if approved.
(4) The committee may provide for direct referral of an application by the department to the director if the application meets criteria established by the committee. [1979 c.672 §4; 1981 c.50 §3; 1997 c.29 §3; 2003 c.186 §57; 2009 c.753 §57]