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Renewable Energy Workshop: Renewable Energy Development Issues: Environmental Review

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Renewable Energy Development Issues: Environmental Review Emily Capello, Aspen Environmental Group May 5, 2014 WINDPOWER 2014 “Pre-Conference Technical Training Session”
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Page 1: Renewable Energy Workshop: Renewable Energy Development Issues: Environmental Review

Renewable Energy Development Issues:

Environmental Review

Emily Capello, Aspen Environmental Group

May 5, 2014

WINDPOWER 2014

“Pre-Conference Technical Training Session”

Page 2: Renewable Energy Workshop: Renewable Energy Development Issues: Environmental Review

Contents

• Jurisdiction and Permitting

• Environmental Impacts of Solar Development

• Environmental Impacts of Wind Development

• Avian Impacts and Incidental Take Permits

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Page 3: Renewable Energy Workshop: Renewable Energy Development Issues: Environmental Review

Utility Scale Renewable Generation: Jurisdiction under CEQA & NEPA

• Federal: Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

On public lands: Lead agency for NEPA, National Historic Preservation Act, and other federal law compliance

• State: California Energy Commission (CEC)

Lead agency California Environmental Quality Act for solar thermal or geothermal power plants 50 MW or greater

CEC has no jurisdiction over wind or solar photovoltaic (PV) projects (unless they were first approved as solar thermal)

• Local: Counties or Cities

Conditional Use Permits for solar PV projects and wind, and for solar thermal or geothermal less than 50 MW

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Page 4: Renewable Energy Workshop: Renewable Energy Development Issues: Environmental Review

Renewable Generation: Biological Resources Permitting

• Federal: US Fish and Wildlife Service

Biological Opinion

• State: California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Incidental Take Permit

Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreement

• Example: California Valley Solar Ranch (County jurisdiction)

Conditional Use Permit: 148 Conditions of approval

BO: 25 general conditions, additional species-specific conditions

ITP: 45 conditions

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Page 5: Renewable Energy Workshop: Renewable Energy Development Issues: Environmental Review

Primary Environmental Impacts - Solar Biological Resources

Loss of habitat and individuals (wildlife, plants)

Bird collision & heat (flux) effects

Avian mortality in 2013: Genesis (trough) – 139

Desert Sunlight (PV) – 83

ISEGS (power tower) – 160

Visual Resources Extensive changes to vistas

Glint and glare

Cultural Resources Landscape-scale impacts

Large numbers of arch sites affected; human remains

Page 6: Renewable Energy Workshop: Renewable Energy Development Issues: Environmental Review

Ivanpah SEGS Construction

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Page 7: Renewable Energy Workshop: Renewable Energy Development Issues: Environmental Review

Primary Environmental Impacts - Wind

Birds and bat collisions with turbine blades

Permanent access roads; construction disturbance from turbine assembly & installation

Habitat fragmentation (from construction, roads, operational disturbance)

Visibility: Turbines can be visible from large distances (varies with terrain and turbine size)

Night lighting requirements

Page 8: Renewable Energy Workshop: Renewable Energy Development Issues: Environmental Review

Avian Collisions

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Concern over avian collision challenging due to the wide range of protected species

Source: USFWS

Source: CDFW

Golden Eagle

Range

Condor Range

Page 9: Renewable Energy Workshop: Renewable Energy Development Issues: Environmental Review

Take Permits Eagle Take Permits

50 CFR Parts 13 and 22

Went into effect November 2009

Authorize limited take of bald eagles and golden eagles where the take to be authorized is associated with otherwise lawful activities.

December 2013 revised regulation to extend maximum take period up to 30 years

First eagle take Draft EA issued for the Shiloh IV wind project. No decision yet.

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Page 10: Renewable Energy Workshop: Renewable Energy Development Issues: Environmental Review

Conclusions Renewable energy projects remain high priority for

approval at state and federal levels to meet GHG reduction goals

Mitigation and permitting requirements are substantial

Many new analysis and permitting procedures have been developed in the past 5 years

Types of mitigation are still being developed

Use of eagle permits is still in the early stages

Page 11: Renewable Energy Workshop: Renewable Energy Development Issues: Environmental Review

Contact Information:

Emily Capello

Aspen Environmental Group

[email protected]

(415) 696-5312

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