No certificate of convenience and necessity shall be issued by the executive council except after a public hearing thereon. The executive council shall, upon the filing of an application for such a certificate, fix the time of the public hearing thereon and shall prescribe the notice which shall be given by the applicant. Any interested person, firm, association, corporation, municipality, state board or commission may intervene and participate in such proceeding and at such hearing.
Iowa Code § 469A.2