92                                Laws of Maryland                        [Ch. 31

(1)  Anything in this Act to the contrary notwithstanding, sites
either already owned or purchased in the future by electric com-
panies shall be included in the inventory of possible and proposed
sites.

(2)   The Secretary of Natural Resources, upon the advice of the
Secretary of Economic and Community Development, shall acquire
in the name of the State a sufficient number of sites to satisfy the
expected requirements as submitted by the Secretary of State Plan-
ning as provided in Section 765 (a) (4). The selection of such sites
shall he based on existing research findings that show the site is a
desirable one for power plant construction. ANY INVESTIGA-
TIONS TO ASCERTAIN THE SUITABILITY OF A SITE FOR
THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ELECTRIC GENERATING STA-
TION SHALL BE COMPLETED WITHIN TWO (2) YEARS OF
THE DATE SUCH SITE HAS BEEN SO IDENTIFIED. BY THE
END OF THE TWO (2) YEAR PERIOD, THE SECRETARY OF
NATURAL RESOURCES SHALL PURCHASE OR REMOVE
FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION SUCH SITE! AND SHALL
MAKE PUBLIC HIS DECISION THERETO.

The Secretary of Natural Resources shall acquire same by agree-
ment, or by condemnation pursuant to the condemnation law, and
payment therefor shall he made by the Secretary of Natural Re-
sources from the Environmental Trust Fund. The Secretary of Nat-
ural Resources shall hold such property in the name of the State
and shall not permit its temporary use for any purpose which might
logically be expected to impede its prompt availability for power
plant siting as and when needed. The Secretary of Natural Resources
may not hold, at any one time, less than four (4) nor more than
eight (8) such sites, suitable for either single or multiple power
plant siting, provided, however, that one such site shall be acquired

by July 1, 1974, within the service area of each utility REASON-

ABLY SUITABLE FOR EACH ELECTRIC COMPANY generating
more than 1000 MW of electric power and that at least one such site
per service area REASONABLY SUITABLE FOR EACH SUCH
ELECTRIC COMPANY shall be held as a minimum inventory
thereafter.

All revenues obtained by the Secretary of Natural Resources
through the temporary use of such sites shall be deposited into the
"Fund" except that prior thereto twenty-five (25) percent of the
revenues received shall be paid to the county in which the site is
situated. If the site lies within two or more counties, the twenty-five
(25) percent shall be distributed proportionally as to area within
the various counties.

(b) An electric company as defined in Article 78 of the Annotated
Code of Maryland may, at any time, request from the Secretary of
Natural Resources an appropriate site in his possession under the
provisions of this Act and the Secretary of Natural Resources is
authorized and directed to make such site available. The electric
utility may purchase or lease on a ninety-nine (99) year lease such
site. The purchase price shall be determined by the fair market
value of the site as determined by a committee of three (3) inde-
pendent qualified real estate appraisers, one of whom shall be chosen
by the Secretary of Natural Resources, one of whom shall be chosen
by the electric company making the application, and the third to be
chosen by the two appraisers first selected as provided hereinabove.