Pursuant to RCW 80.50.071 each applicant for energy facility site certification shall at the time of application submission deposit twenty thousand dollars for costs related to processing of the application. Such processing costs shall consist of those determined by the council to be reasonable and necessary including:

(1) A hearing examiner(s) who may be retained by the council for the duration of the application processing period or for such portion of the processing period as the council may consider necessary;

(2) A court reporter(s) for the recording and preparation of transcripts of an adjudicative proceeding, council meetings or public sessions which the council shall consider necessary;

(3) Additional staff salaries for those persons employed on the council staff for the duration of the application processing period; and

(4) Such overhead and support costs including wages and employee benefits, goods and services, travel expenses within the state and miscellaneous expenses as arise directly from application processing;

(5) The council may determine that the initial charge of twenty thousand dollars is insufficient to fund the council costs. If so, the council shall so advise the applicant and shall request the applicant to increase the funds on deposit to cover the anticipated costs. In no event shall the processing of the application continue if the applicant has not agreed to pay the cost thereof and has not deposited the agreed upon funds.