Any coal-fired power plant performing an environmental upgrade may apply for the exemption in § 10-35-1.9 upon forms provided by the secretary of revenue before beginning the environmental upgrade. Upon approval of the application, the secretary shall issue a certificate of exemption. The secretary may require any information from the coal-fired power plant necessary to administer this exemption. The secretary of revenue, as an aid to the determination of the exemption provided by §§ 10-35-1.7 to 10-35-1.10 , inclusive, may call upon the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources for any information and facts which the department may have concerning a coal-fired power plant seeking the exemption provided by §