EUCIDue Diligence forSolar PV Projects

Daniel Belin, AICP

ecology and environment, Inc.www.ene.com

Enhancing Due Diligenceand Streamlining Permitting

June 14-15, 2011

Daniel Belin, AICP

ecology and environment, Inc.www.ene.com

Project Development Overview

Due Diligence – Real Estate vs. Environmental

GIS Demo

The Permitting Process

Streamlining Tips

Phase I & II ESA

Legal standard - ASTM Real Estate document Contamination liabilities CERCLA Benefits – addresses legal liability for

contamination Limitation – does not address other

regulatory liability

Phase I & II ESA

Not a green lightto start design

Don’t rush intodevelopment

Did notinvest inearly issueidentification

Adjustinglayout afterdesign

Wastes timeand money

Database searches

GIS investigation

Site reconnaissance

Agency consultation

Permitting matrix

Critical Issues Analysis

Natural Environment Wildlife and Habitat

Special Status and State-Listed species

Habitat fragmentation orremoval

Microclimate/habitatchanges

Water availability

Cultural resources

Built Environment Land use

Flat-panel PV -- 2.5~12.5acre/MW

Solar-thermal -- 5.0~12.5acre/MW

Aesthetics/Visual Resources,glare

Recreation

Public involvement

Must be compatible withother uses, immediateand adjacent Mining and Agriculture often

compatible

Recreation/Tourism requiresconsideration

Federal land: recreation use classesmay preclude large-scale solardevelopments: Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV)

Near Designated Wilderness Areasand Wilderness Study Areas

Wild and Scenic Rivers

National Trails

Scenic Byways

National, state, and local parks

Cumulative impacts

Disruption of wildlifemovement corridors

Direct loss of orchange in nativespecies habitat

Shading from solararrays can create amicroclimate

Disturbance due tohuman activity,roads, fences, andlight

Includes archaeology,paleontology, and historicstructures

Consultation with StateHistoric Preservation Office

Tribal and federal agencyconsultation

Varying levels of assessment Phase I survey where resources

possible

Phase II survey whereresources known

Monitoring during construction

Historic buildings 50+ yearsold. Can include structures(cemeteries, bridges, dams)

Often the most significant publicconcern

Landscapes differ in their abilityto accommodate change

Technical approaches can quantifyimpacts. BLM and USFS havestandard protocols.

Strategies to minimize impactsand ease public controversy

Determine visual sensitivity level

Reduce impacts with careful arrayand road placement, vegetationscreens

Water for thermal-solarproject cooling andmirror washingrequirements canbe significant

Impacts to wetlandsand streams (arroyos)must be avoided ormitigated

Runoff / erosion fromimpervious surface

1 Data calculated from U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Demands on Water Resources: Report to Congress on the Interdependency of Energy and Water (Dec. 2006), available athttp://www.sandia.gov/energy-water/docs/121-RptToCongress-EWwEIAcomments-FINAL.pdf. Carter provided notes. See Carter & Campbell, supra note 8, at 8.a. Data is for cooling tower technology.b. Includes water consumed in producing or enhancing the fuel source and in generation; excluding cooling water consumption.c. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Fuel from the Sky: Solar Power’s Potential for Western Energy Supply, NREL/SR-550-32160 (July 2002), at 99.d. CRS provided note.e. Cooling ponds which are commonly used at nuclear facilities consume roughly 720 gal/MWh.f. IGCC is Integrated Gasification Combined-Cycle.22 The biomass referenced in Table 2 does not include woody biomass.

Water Use by Fuel Source and Generation Technology1

Generation Technology

Wet CoolingWaterConsumtion(gal/MWh)a

Other WaterConsumptionb

(gal/MWh)GenerationTechnology

Wet CoolingWaterConsumtion(gal/MWh)a

Other WaterConsumptionb

(gal/MWh)

Solar Trough 760-920 8 Biomass2 300-480irrigationdependentd

Solar Tower 750 8

Natural GasCombinedCycle 180 18-21

Photovoltaic Solar 0 5c Coal (IGCC)f 200 140

Wind 0 0 Hydroelectricavg. 4,500(evap)

Fossil 300-480 35-104 Nuclear 400-720e 75-180

» Case Study – Silver State SolarPredicted Water Consumption 400 MW PV

Ivanpah Valley, NV

600 Acre-Feet-Annually (AFA) / 4 years(construction)

21 AFA (operations)

Average industrial development inregion – 4,717 AFA

Acres Zoning1:

Conservation

Areas (b)

2: T & E Species(c)

3: Open Space/Parks (d)

4: VisualResources

(e)

5/6:Hist./Cult.(miles) (f)

7: Floodplain/Drainage (g)

8:Wetlands

(h)

9: Waterways(i)

10: PrimeAg. Land (j)

14: Easements,ROWs, Legal Issues

15: OtherEncumbrances,

17: Other SignificantResources and

Notes:

160 AG-40 No.

Swainson'shawk 0.8 milesaway

Delta button-celery 1.5 milesand

giant gartersnake approx 3miles

No

8.15 milesfrom

designatedscenic route

7.79 milesfrom

HistoricHouse

Yes. Floodplainborders northern

part of property andstream through

property/Moderately well

drained

No

Stream/Rivercrosses the

property;canal/ditch alongnorthern border

PrimeFarmland

Site is located in anEnterprise ZoneSite has an AgriculturalPreserve R-69-C1designation

40.09 AG-40 Yes.

California tigersalamander

NorthernHardpan VernalPool

vernal pool fairyshrimp

valley elderberrylonghorn beetle

westernspadefoot are

< 5 miles from thesite but not on site

No

1.42milesfrom

designatedscenic route

9.15 milesfrom

HistoricFarm

No/Moderately welldrained

FreshwaterEmergent

Wetland oneasternpropertyborder.

Stream/Riverborders

northwest corner

Grazingland

Site is located in anEnterprise ZoneSite has an AgriculturalPreserve R-69-C1designation

106.62 AG-40 No

Swainson's hawk0.29 miles from thesite, burrowing owl0.6 miles from the

site

Park 2.3 milesfrom the site

22.96 fromthe

intersectionof HWY580/5.

4.89 milesfrom

HistoricHouse

Yes. Floodplaincovers southern

end ofproperty/somewhat

poorly drained

No

OneStream/Rivercrosses the

property, onestream/riverborders the

south end of thesite

Easternportion is

primefarmland

Site is located in anEnterprise ZoneSite has an AgriculturalPreserve R-80-8

43.31 AG-40 No

Swainson's hawk0.8 miles

Burrowing owl 2.6miles. Californiatiger salamander

within 5 miles.

Park 1.7milesfrom the site

23.24 milesfrom the

intersectionof HWY580/5.

4.22 milesfrom

HistoricHouse

No/Somewhatpoorly drained

NoNo streams or

rivers

Farmlandof

StatewideImportanc

e

Site is located in anEnterprise ZoneNo AgriculturalPreserve designation

GIS Online Siting Tool

1. Define regulatory process and involved agencies

2. Conduct initial surveys and studies to identifypotential environmental impacts and requiredpermits

3. Hold agency consultations

4. Complete detailed environmental surveys

5. Develop permit applications

6. Agency review

7. Public hearings

8. Final permits issued

Bureau of LandManagementROW Applicationand Plan ofDevelopment

NationalEnvironmentalPolicy Act

State SitingCommittee

Conditional UsePermit Applications(County level)

Pre- application meeting

Submit preliminary application

County scheduled public hearing with P&ZBoard and BOCC

Submit final 1041 application

30 day publicnotice andcomment

period

30 day publicnotice andcomment

period

Total:

3-4 Months

Joint public hearing with Planning andZoning Board and BOCC

P&Z Board hold meeting on same day andissue recommendations to BOCC

BOCC MeetingFinal Approval issued within 7 days

0-2 Months

6-9 Months

3 Months

0-2 Months

1 Month

Total:

18 Months

Preliminary Discussions

Pre- Application Period

Application Submittal Period

Hearing and Service of Decision

Appeal Window

Application

Notice of Intent Published

Public Scoping

Draft EIS

Comment Period / Agency Review

Final EIS

Comment Period / Agency Review

Record of Decision (ROD)

Appeal Period

30 days

45 days

6-9 months

45 days

6-9 months

45 days

Total:

18-24 months

What takes so long? Seasonal field studies

NEPA/State equivalentapplicability

Permit linkages andAgency communication

Agency expertise andworkload

Statutory review times

Quality andcompleteness ofapplications

Agency and communityrelationships

“By putting these renewable energyprojects on a fast track, we are managingour public lands not just for conventionalenergy development but also forenvironmentally responsible renewableenergy production that will power our cleanenergy future.”

Secretary of Interior, Ken SalazarNovember 5, 2009

NEPA Fast Tracked Projects 2 Solar PV projects

Silver State – 400 MW PV

Start to Finish – 14 months

Agency schedule pre-set

RECO office

Statutory review times

Strong management on all sides

Project completely vetted

before initiating NEPA

Transmission lines in Ivanpah Valley

Desert tortoise Streamlining processIdentification of key issues fortimely resolution - 9 monthsbefore filing the application

Shaved 6 months byestablishing pre-filing process

Issues raised during pre-filing:

Quantitative cumulative impactsapproach for desert tortoise

New alternatives

Dry lakes recreation

Visual resources

Mojave National Preserve

Get your team talking details for a completeProject Description

Dual state and federal lead agencies

Cover needs for both agencies at once

Added complexity can mean delays

Plan ahead even more with two leadagencies

Frequent Data Gaps in Project Descriptions

Complete land use tables

GIS Data for access roads, tower locations

Helicopter use plans

Noxious weed plan

Construction schedule – realistic?

Work force requirements for O&M

Decommissioning

All project components covered?

Construction equipment used – air emissions

Expect asophisticated public

Document alloutreach efforts

Identify key publicissues for yourproject

Explain alternativesdevelopmentprocess

Take publicrecommendationsfor alternativesseriously

Track all alternatives screened

Address system alternatives(PV vs. CSP)

Develop an adequate range ofalternatives: BLM to require 3 to 4alternatives for renewable projects

Agencies expect public engagement todevelop alternatives for contentiousprojects

No longerbusiness as usual

The bar has beenraised

Early agencyattention equalsfeedback for yourdevelopingproject and mostlikely a quickerdecision process

Questions?

Dan Belin

(703) 522-6065

dbelin@ene.com