(a) Each application that proposes an electric transmission facility of 125kV or more shall, at the time it is provided to the secretary, be accompanied by a fee in the amount specified herein:

(b) Any municipality or other party (except an applicant) may request funds to defray expenses for expert witness, consultant, administrative and legal fees (other than in connection with judicial review). Requests for funds shall be submitted to the presiding officer not later than 15 days after the issuance of a notice of the initial prehearing conference, unless otherwise specified by the presiding officer.

(c) Subject to the availability of funds, the presiding officer may fix additional dates for submission of fund requests.

(d) Each request for funds shall be submitted to the presiding officer, with copies to the other parties to the proceeding, and contain:

(e) At any conference held to consider fund requests, the presiding officer shall discuss the award of funds and encourage the consolidation of requests.

(f) Not later than 15 days after the close of the initial prehearing conference, the presiding officer shall make an initial award of funds, and from time to time thereafter may make additional awards of funds, in relation to the potential for such awards to make a contribution to a complete record leading to an informed decision as to the appropriateness of the facility and route.

(g) If after its filing the application is amended in a manner that warrants substantial additional scrutiny, the commission may require the applicant to pay an additional intervenor fee in an amount not to exceed $125,000, and the presiding officer may make additional awards of funds, in relation to the potential for such awards to make a contribution to a complete record leading to an informed decision as to the appropriateness of the facility and route.

(h) The presiding officer shall ultimately award, on an equitable basis, at least 50 percent of the funds to municipalities and up to 50 percent to other parties whose requests comply with the provisions of subdivisions (b) and (d) of this section, so long as the funds will contribute to a complete record leading to an informed decision as to the appropriateness of the transmission facility and route and facilitate broad public participation in the proceeding.

(i) The fee submitted with each application, as well as any fee required to be submitted when an application is amended, shall be deposited in an intervenor account, established pursuant to section 97-tt of the State Finance Law.

(j) On a quarterly basis, unless otherwise required by the presiding officer, any municipality or other party receiving an award of funds shall:

(k) Where it appears warranted, the presiding officer may incorporate the reports referred to in subdivision (j) of this section into the hearing record as public statements.

(l) Disbursements from the intervenor account to municipal and other parties shall be made by the Department of Public Service upon audit and warrant of the Comptroller of the State on vouchers approved by the chairman or a designee. Before any funds may be disbursed to a municipality or other party, such party must enter into a local assistance contract with the Department of Public Service. Vouchers prepared pursuant to such local assistance contract must be submitted for payment not later than six months after any withdrawal of an application or the commission's final decision on an application (including a decision on rehearing, if applicable). Any funds that have not been disbursed shall be returned to the applicant after the commission's final decision on an application (including any decision on rehearing or on remand following a court order, if applicable) has been made. If an application has been withdrawn, any funds remaining shall be returned within a reasonable time.