[§196D-3]  Definitions.  As usedin this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

"Agency" means any department,office, board, or commission of the State or a county government which is apart of the executive branch of that government, but does not include anypublic corporation or authority that may be established by the legislature forthe purposes of the project.

"Applicant" means any person who,pursuant to statute, ordinance, rule, or regulation, requests approval or apermit of the proposed project.

"Approval" means a discretionaryconsent required from an agency prior to the actual implementation of theproject.

"Department" means the department ofland and natural resources or any successor agency.

"Discretionary consent" means aconsent, sanction, or recommendation from an agency for which judgment and freewill may be exercised by the issuing agency, as distinguished from aministerial consent.

"Environmental impact statement"means, as applicable, an informational document prepared in compliance withchapter 343 or with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Public Law91-190).

"Interagency group" means the bodyestablished pursuant to section 196D-6.

"Permit" means any license, permit,certificate, certification, approval, compliance schedule, or other similardocument or decision pertaining to any regulatory or management program whichis related to the protection, conservation, use of, or interference with thenatural resources of land, air, or water in the State and which is requiredprior to or in connection with the undertaking of the project.

"Person" includes any individual,partnership, firm, association, trust, estate, corporation, joint venture,consortium, any public corporation or authority that may be established by thelegislature for the purposes of the project, or other legal entity other thanan agency.

"Project" means the commercialdevelopment, construction, installation, financing, operation, maintenance,repair, and replacement, including without limitation all applicableexploratory, testing, and predevelopment activities related to the foregoingof:

(1)  A geothermal power plant or plants, including allassociated equipment, facilities, wells, and transmission lines, on the islandof Hawaii for the purpose of generating electric energy for transmissionprimarily to the island of Oahu through the cable system; and

(2)  An interisland deep water electrical transmissioncable system, including all land-based transmission lines and other ancillaryfacilities, to transmit geothermally generated electric energy from the islandof Hawaii to the island of Oahu, regardless of whether the cable system is usedto deliver electric energy to any intervening point. [L 1988, c 301, pt of §1]