in Six Southwestern States Cathy Becker Brinda Bhatt Makenna Dunlap Hannah Sargel Stacey Silverii Mikhail Yakhnitskiy Programmatic EIS Lead agencies Bureau of Land Management Department of Energy ID: 1026768
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1. Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern States Cathy BeckerBrinda BhattMakenna DunlapHannah SargelStacey SilveriiMikhail Yakhnitskiy
2. Programmatic EISLead agenciesBureau of Land ManagementDepartment of EnergyStates Arizona CaliforniaColoradoNevadaNew MexicoUtahBLM administers 120 million acres in these six states
3. Project Description and NeedGreat interest in developing utility-scale solar energy facilities on BLM-administered land127 active applications as of February 2010LegislationSection 211 of Energy Policy Act of 2005Executive Order 13212Actions to Expedite Energy-Related ProjectsSigned by George W. Bush on May 18, 2001Secretary of the Interior Order No. 3285A1Renewable Energy DevelopmentSigned by Ken Salazar on February 22, 2010
4. Active Applications 2010BLM-Administered Lands and Active Solar Facility Applications in the Six-State Area
5. ObjectivesFacilitating near-term utility-scale solar energy development on public lands;Minimizing potential negative environmental, social, and economic impacts;Providing flexibility to consider a variety of solar energy projects (location, facility size, technology, and so forth);Optimizing existing transmission infrastructure and corridors; andStandardizing and streamlining the authorization process for utility-scale solar energy development on BLM lands.
6. Alternatives 2 3 Solar Energy Development Alternative- Excludes certain types of land from development - Identifies and prioritizes Solar Energy Zones- Developers could seek variances outside SEZs1No Action AlternativeSolar Energy Zones Alternative- Projects could be done only in Solar Energy Zones- All other land is excluded
7. Exclusions Areas (Hannah)Lands with slopes of greater than 5% determined through GIS analysisLands with solar insolation levels less than 6.5 kWh/m2/day determined through National Renewable Energy LaboratoryAll Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) identified in applicable land use plansAll designated and proposed critical habitat areas for species protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973Developed recreational facilities, special-use permit recreation sites (e.g., ski resorts and camps), and all Special Recreation Management Areas 32 categories totaling 79 million acres:
8. 17 Solar Energy Zones (SEZs)Solar Energy Zones add up to 285,000 acres
9. Gillespie, Arizona
10. Riverside East, California
11. DeTilla Gulch, Colorado
12. Afton, New Mexico
13. Dry Lake, Nevada
14. Wah Wah Valley, Utah
15. Affected Environment: GeologyPacific Border and the Lower California provincesCascade-Sierra Mountains provinceBasin and Range provinceColumbia-Snake River PlateauColorado PlateauMiddle and Southern Rocky Mountains provincesWyoming BasinGreat Plains province
16. Affected Environment: Water14 major aquifersBasin and RangeColorado PlateauCentral ValleyRio GrandeHigh Plains
17. Affected Environment: Wildlife
18. Special Status Species (Brinda)In Solar Energy Zones614 plant species139 invertebrate species84 fish species32 amphibian species59 reptile species123 bird species108 mammal speciesTotal ESA, BLM, StateMay affect but not adversely - 61 fish species4 bird species1 mammal (Utah prairie dog)Likely to adversely affect - 177 plant species1 invertebrate species8 fish species1 reptile (desert tortoise)Affected species
19. Species: Alternatives AnalysisTextNo Action AlternativeSolar Energy ProgramSolar Energy ZonesESA Endangered1187012ESA Threatened58358ESA Proposed320ESA Candidate29207ESA In Review353226BLM Sensitive654420146State Listed42031175Rare1085723344TOTAL1153777358Note: The total number of species within each alternative area does not equal the sum across status categories because many species have more than one status listing
20. Affected Environment: ClimateTemperatureAverage: mid-40s to mid-70s FRange: 10.8° F in Elko, Nev., to 105.6° F in PhoenixPrecipitationRain: 4 inches in Las Vegasto 3 feet in Redding, Calif.Snow: 0 in Los Angeles to 5 feet in DenverWeatherCalifornia is largest emitter of CO2 – 52% of six-state totalSix-state emissions are 12.7% of total U.S. CO2 emissionsU.S. CO2 emissions are 21% of worldwide totalSix-state emissions are 2.7% of worldwide totalCarbon Emissions
21. Impacts: VegetationDevelopment would require total removal of vegetationDirect effectsIncreased risk of invasive speciesChanges in species composition and distributionDamage to soil crustsIndirect effectsDust depositsAltered drainageRunoffMitigationDesign features can reduceExclusions can avoidAmargosa niterwortPhoto: Amargosa Conservancy
22. Impacts: WildlifeNumerous species affected byLoss of habitatDisturbanceLoss of food and prey speciesLoss of breeding areasEffects on movement and migrationIntroduction of new speciesHabitat fragmentationChanges to water availabilityMitigationDesign features can reduceExclusions can avoid key areasUtah prairie dogsPhoto: National Park Service
23. Impacts: Special Status SpeciesSame problems as non-status species, but small population makes them more vulnerableHabitat fragmentationHabitat degradationHuman disturbanceMortalityLoss of genetic diversityMost can be mitigatedCritical habitat excluded5.9 million acresDifficult to mitigateHabitat fragmentationClearing vegetationDesert tortoisePhoto: Red Cliffs Desert Reserve
24. Impacts: ClimateAdversely affected by dust and vehicle emissions during constructionLocal and temporaryCan be mitigatedAir QualityEach MWh of solar energy produced displaces 1,578 lb. CO2 emissions per year400 MW solar energy facility at 20% capacityAvoids .21% CO2 emissions from electric power facilitiesCarbon Emissions
25. Impacts: Socioeconomic (Makenna)Expenditures on wages and salariesProcurement of goods and services required for construction and operationCollection of state sales and income taxesDirectInflux of workers and their families would affectRental housingPublic servicesLocal government employmentIn-migrationCirculation through the economy of:Project wages and salariesProcurement expendituresTax revenuesIndirect
26. Impacts: JobsArizonaCaliforniaColoradoNevadaNew MexUtahRecreation (lost)-1879-12,114-1967-1827-627-809-3758-24,229-3933-3653-1253-1617Transmission Lines(per 25 miles)697274687779158167170157178181Parabolic Trough (per facility)8941935833909682844357777403332363527283377Power Tower(per facility)433977403404330409173237481614161613211625Dish Engine(per facility)183816161317131928551228123010041244Photovoltaic(per facility)81888686151331573573468580
27. Solar facility typesParabolic TroughDish EnginePower TowerPhotovoltaic (PV)
28. Timeline of events20082009201020112012201320142015First scoping periodMay–July 2008Supplemental Draft PEISOctober 28, 2011Final PEISJuly 27, 2012Record of DecisionOctober 2012Second scoping periodJune 2009Draft PEISDec. 17, 2010Notice of IntentMay 29, 2008First projects approvedJune 9, 2015
29. Public Involvement (Stacey)
30. DecisionPreferred AlternativeSolar Energy Development Environmentally Preferred AlternativesSolar Energy Development Solar Energy ZonesDecision Solar Energy Development
31. Where are we now? (Mikhail)StateSEZNameMWTypeStatusArizonaBrendaQuartzite100toweroperationalLittle Horn1000troughpendingGillespieSonoran300troughpendingNote: 1 MW can power about 1000 homes
32. Where are we now? (Mikhail)StateSEZNameMWTypeStatusCaliforniaRiverside EastMcCoy750PVoperationalBlythe485PVoperationalGenesis250troughoperationalDesert Harvest150PVoperationalDesert Quartzite700PVpendingSonoran West450PVpendingOutside SEZDesert Sunlight550PVoperationalIvanpah 2370toweroperationalStateline300PVoperationalOcotillo Sol20PVoperationalSoda Mountain287PVapproved
33. Where are we now? (Mikhail)StateSEZNameMWTypeStatusNevadaDry LakeDry Lake Zone200PVoperationalDry Lake Center130PVoperationalHarry Allen Solar112PVoperationalSilver State North50PVoperationalSilver State South350PVoperationalMillersCrescent Dunes110toweroperationalOutside SEZLuning50PVapproved
34. QuestionsWhat kind of land was excluded from solar energy development? (Hannah Sargel)How does the project affect endangered and rare species? (Brinda Bhatt)Did the EIS discuss socioeconomic impacts? What were they? (Makenna Dunlap)Did the public get a chance to comment on this project? How many comments did they get? (Stacey Silverii)Where is this project now? Were any site-specific solar energy facilities approved? (Mikhail Yakhnitskiy)