(a) To accomplish the purposes of this chapter, the authority shall have power to:

(1) Own, manage and use real property or any interest therein;

(2) Determine the location and character of any project to be developed under the provisions of this chapter, subject to applicable statutes and regulations and the requirements of the state-wide solid waste management plan;

(3) Purchase, receive by gift or otherwise, lease, exchange, or otherwise acquire and construct, reconstruct, improve, maintain, equip and furnish such waste management projects as are called for by the state solid waste management plan;

(4) Sell or lease to any person, all or any portion of a waste management project, for such consideration and upon such terms as the authority may determine to be reasonable;

(5) Mortgage or otherwise encumber all or any portion of a project whenever, in the opinion of the authority, such action is deemed to be in furtherance of the purposes of this chapter;

(6) Grant options to purchase, or to renew a lease for, any authority waste management project on such terms as the authority may determine to be reasonable;

(7) Acquire, by purchase, gift or transfer, and manage and operate, hold and dispose of real property and, subject to agreements with lessors or lessees, develop or alter such property by making improvements and betterments with the purpose of enhancing the value and usefulness of such property;

(8) Make plans, surveys, studies and investigations necessary or desirable, in conformity with the state plan and with due consideration for local or regional plans, to carry out authority functions with respect to the acquisition, use and development of real property and the design and construction of systems and facilities;

(9) Make short and long range plans, consistent with the provisions of the state solid waste management plan, for the processing and transportation of solid wastes and recovered resources by authority-owned facilities;

(10) Design or provide for the design of solid waste management facilities including design for the alteration, reconstruction, improvement, enlargement or extension of existing facilities;

(11) Construct, erect, build, acquire, alter, reconstruct, improve, enlarge or extend waste management projects including provision for the inspection and supervision thereof and the engineering, architectural, legal, fiscal and economic investigations and studies, surveys, designs, plans, working drawings, specifications, procedures and any other actions incidental thereto;

(12) Own, operate and maintain waste management projects and make provision for their management and for the manufacturing, processing and transportation operations necessary to derive recovered resources from solid waste, and contracting for the sale of such;

(13) Enter upon lands and waters, as may be necessary, to make surveys, soundings, borings and examinations in order to accomplish the purposes of this chapter;

(14) Contract with municipal and regional authorities and state agencies to provide waste management services in accordance with the provisions of § 22a-275 and to plan, design, construct, manage, operate and maintain solid waste disposal and processing facilities on their behalf;

(15) Design and construct improvements or alterations on properties which it owns or which it operates by contract on behalf of municipal or regional authorities, including the restoration of terminated dumps and landfills to beneficial public or private use;

(16) Contract for services in the performance of architectural and engineering design, the supervision of design and construction, system management and facility management; for such professional or technical services as are specified in subdivision (3) of § 22a-265; and for such other professional or technical services as may require either prequalification of a contractor or the submission by any individual, firm or consortium or association of individuals or firms of a proposal in response to an official request for proposal or similar written communication of the authority that is issued or made pursuant to the contracting procedures adopted under § 22a-268a, whenever such services are, in the discretion of the authority, deemed necessary, desirable or convenient in carrying out the purposes of the authority;

(17) Contract for the construction of solid waste facilities with private persons or firms, or consortia of such persons or firms, pursuant to applicable provisions of this chapter, the requirements of applicable regulations, the contracting procedures adopted under § 22a-268a and the state plan and in accordance with such specifications, terms and conditions as the authority may deem necessary or advisable;

(18) Assist in the development of industries and commercial enterprises and the planning, design, construction, financing, management, ownership, operation and maintenance of systems, facilities and technology within the state based upon or related to resources recovery, recycling, reuse, treatment, processing or disposal of solid waste provided any net revenue to the authority from activities, contracts, products or processes undertaken pursuant to this subdivision shall be distributed so as to reduce the costs of other authority services to the users thereof on a pro rata basis proportionate to costs paid by such users;

(19) Act as an electric supplier or an electric aggregator pursuant to public act 98-28* provided any net revenue to the authority from activities, contracts, products or processes undertaken pursuant to this subdivision, after payment of principal and interest on bonds and repayment of any loans or notes of the authority, shall be distributed so as to reduce the costs of other authority services to the users thereof on a pro rata basis proportionate to costs paid by such users. In acting as an electric supplier or an electric aggregator pursuant to any license granted by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, the authority may enter into contracts for the purchase and sale of electricity and electric generation services, provided such contracts are solely for the purposes of ensuring the provision of safe and reliable electric service and protecting the position of the authority with respect to capacity and price.

(b) Any contracts authorized by this chapter shall be entered into by the authority (1) on the same basis and subject to the same limitations and considerations applicable to municipal and regional resources recovery authorities pursuant to subsection (c) of § 7-273bb, and (2) pursuant to the contracting procedures adopted under § 22a-268a, except that in entering into a contract for a resources recovery facility, solid waste facility, volume reduction plant or solid waste management system, the authority shall consider the best interests of the municipality or region to be served by such facility, plant or system.

(c) The authority shall have power, in its discretion, either to purchase on a centralized basis, heavy solid waste processing equipment to be installed in waste management projects, or to require such purchase and installation as part of a construction contract. The authority shall conduct its contracting and purchasing operations in accordance with its regularly adopted and promulgated procurement policies, including the contracting procedures adopted under § 22a-268a and specific rules and procedures on purchasing and contracting approved by a two-thirds vote of its full board of directors. In procuring services with respect to the establishment, management and operation of transfer stations, and the transportation of solid wastes therefrom to a solid waste facility, the authority and its subcontractors shall insofar as is practicable give preference to firms based in Connecticut. Whenever the authority determines that a contract for facility management shall be awarded on other than a competitive bidding basis, in accordance with applicable provisions of subdivision (16) of subsection (a) of this section, subsection (b) of this section, § 22a-268 and the contracting procedures adopted under § 22a-268a, the directors shall, at least sixty days prior to the award date, pass a resolution expressing their intent to award and shall within ten days cause a copy of such resolution to be printed in one daily and one weekly newspaper published within the state. Thereupon, interested parties who so desire may, within thirty days, petition the directors with respect to such contract and offer evidence in extenuation before a referee appointed by the chairperson. Such referee shall not be an employee of the authority and shall report the referee’s findings with respect to such petition and evidence to the directors at least ten days prior to the projected award date. The directors shall give due consideration to such findings in determining the final award of the contract.