(a) Within 35 days, but no sooner than 15 days, after the issuance of the final environmental report, the assigned committee shall hold a prehearing conference to determine the issues to be considered in one or more hearings and the dates of the hearings.

(b) The assigned committee shall arrange for public notice of the prehearing conference to be published no later than 14 days in advance of the prehearing conference. The notice shall request all parties to prepare a prehearing conference statement identifying the issues they believe should be the subject of a hearing and any other matter the committee deems reasonable to request.

(c) Within 15 days of the prehearing conference, the assigned committee shall issue a hearing order setting forth the issues to be heard at one or more hearings, including issues, if any, regarding reasonable alternatives to the proposed transmission corridor zone, the need for the proposed corridor, and the extent to which the proposed corridor conforms with the applicable strategic plan, the date(s) and location(s) of the hearing(s), the filing date for written testimony, other submittals, and public comments, and any other matter that the assigned committee has the authority to address or regulate under section 1203.

(d) The issue of conformity with the strategic plan shall include a demonstration based on substantial evidence of the need for the proposed corridor. The basic issue of need for a corridor shall first be considered in a proceeding on the strategic plan under Section 25324 of the Public Resources Code.