Powerplant Siting Act

Power Plant Siting Act - Proposes to further both national environmental policy and national electric energy policy by facilitating timely, well-planned, and coordinated construction of adequate power supply facilities.

Requires all present and prospective private or Federal owners of electric generating facilities capable of producing over 300,000 kilowatts or electric transmission lines designed for 230 kilovolts or more to prepare annually long-range plans pursuant to guidelines established by the Federal Power Commission.

Provides that such plans may be part of a single regional plan and shall: (1) describe the location, size and type of facilities whose construction will begin in the next ten years; (2) reflect the owner's efforts to coordinate bulk power supply facility plans with those of other owners; and (3) reflect the owners efforts to involve environmental and land-use planning agencies in their planning process. Requires the filing of such plans with the Federal Power Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency and with other governmental or private environmental and resource planning groups who request such plans.

Permits States to establish a decisionmaking body at the State or regional level to certify sites and related bulk power supply facilities of any electric entity. Requires such certifying bodies to provide for participation in its decisionmaking processes by environmental protection, natural resource planning, and electric power service components of the governments involved.

Grants the Federal certifying agency, to be designated by the President, exclusive authority to issue certificates of site and facility on the basis of Federal standards if State or regional certifying bodies have not been created within 24 months after the enactment of this Act.

Permits States which are dissatisfied with the action of a Federal certifying agency to appeal to the appropriate United States Court of Appeals.

Provides that no electric entity shall commence to construct or begin operation of bulk power supply facilities within a State unless it has obtained from the State or Federal certifying agency a certificate of site and facility and no Federal electric entity shall commence to construct or begin operation of bulk power supply facilities unless it has obtained from the Federal certifying agency a certificate of site and facility. Provides that such facilities shall be constructed, operated, and maintained in accordance with the terms and conditions of the certificate.

Requires applications for certificates of site and facilities to be filed two years before the planned date or commencement of construction.

Empowers State, regional and Federal certifying bodies to issue certificates of site and facility for bulk power supply facilities.

Directs the President to publish guidelines for certifying bodies which must include such factors as criteria for the evaluation of prjected needs and of environmental effects of proposed sites and alternatives; and procedures to insure full public participation in certification proceedings.

Permits a certified electric entity to acquire needed property by exercise of the right of eminent domain if unable to acquire it otherwise.

Exposes violators of this Act to civil and criminal penalties.