310                              Laws of Maryland                        [Ch. 63

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the provisions of this Act

shall not be construed to extend or apply to the salary of the mem-
bers of the Board of Supervisors of Elections in Montgomery County

in office on the effective date of this Act, but the provisions of the

act concerning the salary of the members of the Board of Super-
visors of Elections in Montgomery County shall take effect at the
beginning of the next following term of office.

Sec. 3. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take
effect July 1,1971.

Approved April 23, 1971.

CHAPTER 63
(Senate Bill 240)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 54A of
Article 78 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1970 Supple-
ment), title "Public Service Commission Law," subtitle "Public
Service Companies," subheading "Gas and Electric Companies,"
to define the word "construction" under the law which requires
an electric utility to obtain a Public Service Commission permit
for construction of stations or lines.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 54A of Article 78 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1970 Supplement), title "Public Service Commission Law," subtitle
"Public Service Companies," subheading "Gas and Electric Com-
panies," be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amend-
ments, to read as follows:

54A.

No electric company may begin the construction in Maryland of
a generating station or any overhead transmission line designed to
carry a voltage in excess of 69,000 volts, or exercise the right of
eminent domain in connection therewith, without having first ob-
tained from the Commission a certificate of public convenience and
necessity for the construction of the station or line. The Commis-
sion shall hold a public hearing on each application for a certificate
of public convenience and necessity in the area in which any portion
of the construction of a generating station or an overhead trans-
mission line designed to carry a voltage in excess of 69,000 volts is
proposed to be located, together with the local governing bodies of
each such area, unless any governing body wishes not to participate
in the hearing. The Commission shall take final action only after
due consideration of the recommendations of such governing bodies,
the need to meet present and future demands for service, effect on
system stability and reliability, economics, esthetics, historic sites,
aviation safety as determined by the State Aviation Commission and
the administration ADMINISTRATOR of the Federal Aviation