Megan Lawson Gungle, Ashley Hingtgen, Robert J ; Patrick
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From: Megan Lawson To: Gungle, Ashley Cc: Hingtgen, Robert J ; Patrick BROWN ([email protected]) ([email protected]) Subject: RE: Soitech follow up Date: Friday, October 04, 2013 2:34:46 PM Attachments: image001.png CA_CREZ_Conceptual_Transmission_Segments_Phase_2B_final.pdf Ashley, Here is our response to Mr. Silver's e-mail: Mr. Silver references “Competitive Renewable Energy Zones” (CREZs), which were part of the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) “Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative” (RETI) between 2008 and 2011. From what we can tell, the CEC’s RETI process appears to have stalled in early 2011, and now appears to have been set aside by the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) process. http://www.energy.ca.gov/reti/. As you know, we do not need to address the DRECP in the PEIR because the project areas are located entirely outside of the DRECP area. For the County’s reference, the RETI process identified necessary major updates to the California transmission system to access CREZs. The process identified CREZs that could be developed in the most cost effective and environmentally benign manner. Potential renewable energy projects were grouped into CREZs based on geographic proximity. The CREZ implicated in southern San Diego County is CREZ 27, San Diego South. Each CREZ was developed based on existing and proposed projects (e.g., those projects with a PPA, or PPA pending) and other projects or resources with a high potential of being developed. Because the Soitec projects were not yet proposed at the time of CREZ development (2008- 2010), Soitec’s projects were not accounted for in the CREZ, nor does CREZ 27 account for areas of high solar potential or the most cost-effective or environmentally-benign sites for future solar development. Contrary to Mr. Silver’s suggestion, whether Soitec’s projects are in a CREZ or not does not “provide a presumption, at least, as to whether the project is appropriate sited or whether the presumption is in favor of an alternative site (that might not be pristine habitat in the East County MSCP preserve planning area).” The results of the RETI process were designed to pinpoint transmission projects that should be developed to connect renewable energy resources located in remote locations to the transmission grid, in order to ensure proposed projects could come online and help meet the state’s 33% RPS goal. To that end, the economic and environmental implications of proposed renewable energy projects and necessary transmission corridors was taken into account in ranking proposed conceptual transmission segments. RETI did not broadly evaluate areas outside of proposed project sites and potential sites, like federal energy lease areas, to determine their value for future renewable energy development, such as other areas’ proximity to transmission, energy resource potential, or environmental sensitivity. Nevertheless, Soitec’s proposed projects are complimentary to RETI’s CREZ and conceptual transmission corridors for southern San Diego, as Soitec’s project areas are located partially within CREZs, as Dudek’s mapping shows, and are proximate to existing transmission. Furthermore, due to the careful siting of Soitec’s projects, even when they are not fully located within a CREZ they are nevertheless environmentally benign, as they are not located within any identified sensitive environmental areas, such as those delineated on the CREZ maps as areas of critical environmental concern, potential desert wilderness, citizen’s wilderness inventory, Mohave ground squire range or core population, sensitive cultural resource areas, wildlife linkages, proposed desert protection, proposed national monument, or wildlands conservancy. Map of CREZ’s compared to Soitec project areas. Green = CREZ 2A; Blue = CREZ 2B Attached is the CREZ map from Phase 2B which shows sensitive environmental areas.
Transcript of Megan Lawson Gungle, Ashley Hingtgen, Robert J ; Patrick
From: Megan LawsonTo: Gungle, AshleyCc: Hingtgen, Robert J; Patrick BROWN ([email protected]) ([email protected])Subject: RE: Soitech follow upDate: Friday, October 04, 2013 2:34:46 PMAttachments: image001.png
CA_CREZ_Conceptual_Transmission_Segments_Phase_2B_final.pdf
Ashley, Here is our response to Mr. Silver's e-mail: Mr. Silver references “Competitive Renewable Energy Zones” (CREZs), which were part of the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) “RenewableEnergy Transmission Initiative” (RETI) between 2008 and 2011. From what we can tell, the CEC’s RETI process appears to have stalled in early2011, and now appears to have been set aside by the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) process. http://www.energy.ca.gov/reti/. As you know, we do not need to address the DRECP in the PEIR because the project areas are located entirelyoutside of the DRECP area. For the County’s reference, the RETI process identified necessary major updates to the California transmission system to access CREZs. Theprocess identified CREZs that could be developed in the most cost effective and environmentally benign manner. Potential renewable energyprojects were grouped into CREZs based on geographic proximity. The CREZ implicated in southern San Diego County is CREZ 27, San DiegoSouth. Each CREZ was developed based on existing and proposed projects (e.g., those projects with a PPA, or PPA pending) and other projects orresources with a high potential of being developed. Because the Soitec projects were not yet proposed at the time of CREZ development (2008-2010), Soitec’s projects were not accounted for in the CREZ, nor does CREZ 27 account for areas of high solar potential or the most cost-effectiveor environmentally-benign sites for future solar development. Contrary to Mr. Silver’s suggestion, whether Soitec’s projects are in a CREZ or not does not “provide a presumption, at least, as to whether theproject is appropriate sited or whether the presumption is in favor of an alternative site (that might not be pristine habitat in the East CountyMSCP preserve planning area).” The results of the RETI process were designed to pinpoint transmission projects that should be developed toconnect renewable energy resources located in remote locations to the transmission grid, in order to ensure proposed projects could come onlineand help meet the state’s 33% RPS goal. To that end, the economic and environmental implications of proposed renewable energy projects andnecessary transmission corridors was taken into account in ranking proposed conceptual transmission segments. RETI did not broadly evaluateareas outside of proposed project sites and potential sites, like federal energy lease areas, to determine their value for future renewable energydevelopment, such as other areas’ proximity to transmission, energy resource potential, or environmental sensitivity. Nevertheless, Soitec’s proposed projects are complimentary to RETI’s CREZ and conceptual transmission corridors for southern San Diego, asSoitec’s project areas are located partially within CREZs, as Dudek’s mapping shows, and are proximate to existing transmission. Furthermore, dueto the careful siting of Soitec’s projects, even when they are not fully located within a CREZ they are nevertheless environmentally benign, as theyare not located within any identified sensitive environmental areas, such as those delineated on the CREZ maps as areas of critical environmentalconcern, potential desert wilderness, citizen’s wilderness inventory, Mohave ground squire range or core population, sensitive cultural resourceareas, wildlife linkages, proposed desert protection, proposed national monument, or wildlands conservancy. Map of CREZ’s compared to Soitec project areas. Green = CREZ 2A; Blue = CREZ 2B
Attached is the CREZ map from Phase 2B which shows sensitive environmental areas.
Please let us know if you have any additional questions. Thanks,Megan Megan Lawson, LEED AP ND760.479.4243 -----Original Message-----From: Gungle, Ashley [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, October 02, 2013 8:30 AMTo: Megan LawsonCc: Hingtgen, Robert JSubject: FW: Soitech follow up Hi Megan, Dan Silver with the Endangered Habitat League (EHL) provided us with the following information on CREZ zones. Do you have any information onCREZ zone and whether they are applicable to San Diego? If not, can you please research this and determine if it is something we need to addressfurther? Thanks, Ashley -----Original Message-----From: Dan Silver [mailto:[email protected]]Sent: Tuesday, October 01, 2013 12:46 PMTo: Fogg, Mindy; Hingtgen, Robert J; Gungle, AshleySubject: Soitech follow up Dear Mindy, Robert, and Ashley Thank you again for your time. After talking to an expert on distributed energy, I am more fully cognizant of the complexities in terms of energy policy and economics. The goalfor everyone would be, of course, to have a systematic approach in place rather than a piecemeal, project-by-project process. To that end, Iunderstand that the State has done some prioritization work, identifying locations with good economics for renewable energy but also with lowerenvironmental cost. These are called CREZ zones. If these zones are in place in San Diego, it might provide a presumption, at least, as to whetherthe project is appropriate sited or whether the presumption is in favor of an alternative site (that might not be pristine habitat in the East CountyMSCP preserve planning area). I'm not sure the links I was able to quickly locate are of much value, but I provide them for your reference, andmaybe the applicant can shed more light. With best regardsDan http://www.energy.ca.gov/reti/ http://www.nationalwind.org/assets/blog/AnneGillette.pdf http://www.energy.ca.gov/reti/documents/phase2B/Southern%20CA_CREZ_Conceptual_Transmission_Segments_New_and_Existing_Corridors.pdf Dan Silver, Executive DirectorEndangered Habitats League8424 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite A 592Los Angeles, CA 90069-4267 [email protected]
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Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative (RETI)Phase 2B Maps
Prepared by the California Energy Commission Cartography Unit for the RETI Stakeholders
Cartographers - Jacque Gilbreath, Terry Rose & Michael Snyder
CaliforniaProposed Competitive Renewable Energy Zones, 2010 Proposed California Desert Protection Act
& Conceptual Transmission Segments- New and Existing Corridors
Corrected 7/1/2010
T:\Projects\CEC\RETI Renewable Interconnections\RETI Phase 2 Working Group\Phase 2B Maps FILENAME: CA CREZ Conceptual Transmission Segments Phase 2B.mxd
Shasta and Klamath Rivers CanyonShort CanyonSinger GeoglyphsSlinkard ValleySoggy Dry Lake Creosote RingsSouth Fork Eel RiverSpivey PondStornettaSuperior-Cronese DWMASurprise CanyonSusan RiverSwasey DriveTable MountainTierra RedondaTimbered Crater WSATravertine Hot SpringsTrona PinnaclesTurtle MountainsUpper Johnson Valley Yucca RingsWarm Sulfur SpringsWest MesaWest ParadiseWestern Rand Mountain ExpansionWestern Rand MountainsWhipple MountainsWhite Mountain CityWhitewater CanyonWillow CreekYankee JimYuha Basin
151152153154155156157158159160161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176177178179180
BLM Area of Critical Environmental ConcernReference Table
Afton CanyonAlkali SinksAlligator RockAmargosa RiverAmboy CraterAsh ValleyBagby SerpentineBaker CypressBarstow Woolly SunflowerBedrock SpringBendires ThrasherBig Morongo CanyonBigelow ChollaBlack ForestBlack MountainBlue RidgeBodie BowlButte CreekCache Creek CorridorCalico Early Man SiteCarbonate Endemic PlantsCarizzo PlainCase MountainCedar CanyonCedar RoughsCedarsCerro GordoChemehuevi DWMAChico MartinezChristmas CanyonChuckwalla DWMAChuckwalla Valley Dune ThicketClark MountainClear Creek SerpentineClear Creek/Sacramento River IslandCoachella Valley Fringe-toed LizardConway SummitCoolgardie MesaCorn SpringsCosumnes RiverCoyote Mountains Fossil SiteCrater MountainCronese BasinCypress MountainDead MountainsDeadmans FlatDeer CreekDenning SpringsDesert Lily PreserveDesert Tortoise Natural AreaDos PalmasDutch Flat/Indian Hill RNAEagle Lake BasinEast MesaElder CreekEmigrant TrailsFish SloughForks of Butte CreekFort Ord Public LandsFossil FallsFremont-Kramer DWMAGilham ButtesGoose LakeGreat Falls BasinHalloran WashHarper Dry LakeHawes CornerHorse CanyonIaqua ButtesIn-Ko-Pah MountainsIndian PassIndian ValleyIone ManzanitaIone Manzanita AdditionIone Tertiary Oxisol Soil
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Ivanpah DWMAJawbone/ButterbredtJenny CreekJoaquin RocksJohnson CanyonJuniper FlatsKelso Creek MonkeyflowerKettleman HillsKeynot PeakKingston RangeKnoxvilleKuchamaaLacks CreekLake Cahuilla - ALake Cahuilla - BLake Cahuilla - CLake Cahuilla - DLast Chance CanyonLimestone SalamanderLokernLost ValleyManila DunesManixMarble Mountain Fossil BedMattole BeachMerced RiverMesquite Hills/CruceroMesquite LakeMiddle KnobMill CreekMillion Dollar SpringMojave Fishhook CactusMojave Fringe-toed LizardMojave MonkeyflowerMopah SpringMount DomeMountain Pass Dinosaur TrackwayMountain PeaksMule MountainsNissenan ManzanitaNorth Algodones DunesNorth Fork Cosumnes RiverNorthern California ChapparralOld Growth JuniperOrd-Rodman DWMAPalen Dry LakePanoche/CoalingaParish's PhaceliaPatton's Iron Mountain Divisional CampPilot KnobPine DunesPine HillPinto Mountains DWMAPisgahPiute CypressPiute-Fenner DWMAPlank RoadPoint SalPotreroRainbow Basin/Owl CanyonRed HillsRed Hills AdditionsRed MountainRed Mountain SpringRodman Mountains Cultural AreaRose SpringSacramento River/Bend AreaSalinas RiverSaline ValleySalt Creek HillsSan Sebastian Marsh/San Felipe CreekSand CanyonSanta Ana River WashSanta Margarita Ecological ReserveShadow Valley DWMA
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0 10 20 30 40 505Miles
1:1,040,000Wildlife Linkage
South Coast Missing LinkagesJoshua Tree - Twentynine Palms Linkage
Land UseCalifornia State ParkState Owned Land
Private Land
The Wildlands ConservancyArea of Critical Environmenal ConcernMohave Ground Squirrel Core PopulationMohave Ground Squirrel Range
Department of Defense
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Citizen's Wilderness InventoryPotential Desert Wilderness
Bureau of Land Management
Williamson ActNOTE: Williamson Act for Imperial,Orange, Kings, Inyo and San Benito Coutines not available
Federal Energy Corridors368 Transmission CorridorBureau of Land Management Energy Corridor
Existing Transmission Lines(Colorized according to Utility Ownership)
110 kV - 161 kV220 kV - 287 kV345 kV - 500 kV345 kV - 500 kV DC
Cultural Resource ConstraintsHistoric U.S. Route 66Sensitive Area
Utility Ownership
All OthersWestern Area Power AdministrationSouthern California EdisonSan Diego Gas & ElectricSacramento Municipality Utility DistrictPacific Gas & ElectricPacifiCorpLos Angeles Dept. of Water & PowerImperial Irrigation District
BLM Solar EnergyStudy Zones
Other FeaturesRoadCounty BoundaryDry Lake BedWater BodyDisturbed Area
Proposed NationalMonumentProposed Desert Protection
WLD - WildernessNOHV - National Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation AreaARRA Project LabelsBLM ProjectCEC Project
Joint BLM-CEC ProjectLocal Project
Substations
ProposedExisting
Prohibited, Restricted & Limited Lands
Category II Lands - Some Energy DevelopmentMay Be Possible With Significant Limitations
Category I Lands - Energy DevelopmentProhibited or Restricted by Policy
RETI Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ)
CREZ BoundaryProposed Wind ProjectProposed Solar ProjectCollector LineBiomass ProjectGeothermal Project
BLM Lease ApplicationSolarWind
RETI Transmission Segments
Existing / ExpandNew Right of Way
