Inyo County Renewable Energy General Plan Amendment DRAFT Programmatic Environmental Impact Report Public Comment Meeting

Transcription

1 Inyo County Renewable Energy General Plan Amendment DRAFT Programmatic Environmental Impact Report Public Comment Meeting

2 Renewable Energy General Plan Amendment The County has prepared a DRAFT update to its General Plan and a DRAFT Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) to better address potential solar energy development in the County. This work started in response to the increasing commitment by the Federal and State governments to expand renewable energy development and an increased focus on Inyo County State and Federal policies for renewable energy development come from two primary concerns: 1. Too much reliance by the US on foreign energy resources 2. Global warming

3 The State of California has one of the most ambitious renewable energy goals in the Country. Currently California has a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) of 33% by the year This means that 33% of the electricity sold by utility companies must come from a renewable energy Resource Renewable Energy Resources that count towards the RPS Biomass Biodiesel Fuel cells using renewable fuels Digester gas Landfill gas Municipal solid waste Ocean thermal Ocean Wave Tidal current Solar Photovoltaic Small hydroelectric Solar thermal Wind There have been suggestions to raise the RPS up to 40%

4 Why a General Plan Amendment? Inyo County has excellent solar energy development potential Interest in renewable energy development in the County, created a need to update the General Plan General Plans contain policies and programs that form a sort of road map for land use development A type of development with the potential impacts that renewable energy has should be addressed in the General Plan

5 A Renewable Energy General Plan Amendment was approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2011, and was subsequently rescinded due to CEQA litigation brought forth by environmental groups that asserted the County should have prepared a Programmatic Environmental Impact Report on it. Due to the County s a participation in the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) it was able to apply for a Renewable Energy Planning grant The County was awarded the grant in July 2013 it covers the development of General Plan Amendment and a Programmatic Environmental Impact Report on areas identified in it for potential Renewable energy development This new effort began in July 2013 and was based on the 2011 version

6 The new planning effort was introduced to the public and stakeholder groups during the fall and winter of 2013 The draft policy and criteria for identifying areas that might be appropriate for renewable energy development was taken out to the public for review and comment as part of this effort A total of 10-meetings were held

7 Much of the 2011 policy was brought forward into the 2013 first DRAFT New or amended overlay areas were identified, and shared with the public and stakeholders Three alternatives were identified they included both wind and solar areas The overlays were renamed Renewable Energy Development Areas or REDAs A caps on megawatts policy was added to the new draft version for both wind and solar

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9 The Draft Policy and Draft REDAs were taken to the Planning Commission in February 2014 There was a huge turnout from the public who expressed concerns and a general dislike of the DRAFTS, staff also received many comment letters along the same vein The Planning Commission recommended that the DRAFT REGPA as presented by staff be taken to the Board of Supervisors for input. With a suggestion to go with the Less Intense alternative and to take out one of the REDAs (Centennial Flat) On April the Board of Supervisors conducted a workshop to provide input for a revised project description to use for the Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) This was another very well attended meeting

10 Based on public input the Board directed staff to update the project to: Use the Less Intense Alternative and Megawatt Caps The Owens Valley was taken out and is now the Owens Valley Study Area (it will be subject to a finer level of constraints analysis) A 250-megawatt cap was imposed on the Western Region of the County (inclusive of Owens Valley) that include the REDAs encompassing Laws, Owens Lake, Rose Valley and Pearsonville) Within the Owens Valley, up to 250 megawatts of solar development may be considered. This was capped based on existing transmission availability nothing over

11 Community-scale solar was added Work with property owners in Chicago Valley to define a REDA and megawatt cap Megawatt caps would be accompanied by corresponding acreage caps No wind energy development will be included The REDAs were renamed Solar Energy Development Areas (SEDAs), since the REGPA now only considers solar A project description was prepared based on the Boards direction and an Notice of Preparation was submitted on June scoping meetings and 2 scoping sessions were held the project description was further refined based on public comment

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13 Table 3-1 TOTAL ALLOWABLE MEGAWATTS AND DEVELOPABLE AREA PER SOLAR ENERGY GROUP BY SOLAR ENERGY DEVELOPMENT AREA Solar Energy Group Western* Southern Eastern Solar Energy Development Area Total Allowable Capacity (MW) Total Allowable Developable Area (acres) Laws Owens Lake 250 1,500 Rose Valley Pearsonville Owens Valley Study Area 250 1,500 Western Solar Energy Group Total 250 1,500 Trona Southern Solar Energy Group Total Chicago Valley Charleston View 400 2,400 Sandy Valley Eastern Solar Energy Group Total 550 3,300 MW = megawatts *The Western Solar Energy Group includes four Solar Energy Development Areas (SEDAs) Laws, Owens Lake, Rose Valley, and Pearsonville and the Owens Valley Study Area which is not a SEDA. The Owens Valley Study Area has been identified for potential development equaling the total allowable capacity for the Western Solar Energy Group. The SEDAs or Owens Valley, or a combination may be developed to not exceed the total allowable capacity of 250 megawatts.

14 Utility scale Renewable Energy Solar Facility A Renewable Energy Solar Facility that produces more than 20 MW of electricity for off site use, consumption and/or sale, including all equipment and accessory structures related to the facility, including but not limited to solar collector arrays, mounting posts, substations, electrical infrastructure, transmission lines, operations and maintenance buildings, appurtenant energy storage facilities and other accessory structures. Distributed Generation Renewable Energy Solar Facility A Renewable Energy Solar Facility that produces 20 MW or less of electricity for off-site use, consumption and/or sale. Community scale Renewable Energy Solar Facility A Renewable Energy Solar Facility that uses renewable solar resources to generate energy for a specific community s use and located near the community it serves. Small scale Renewable Energy Solar Facility (not addressed) A facility that uses renewable solar resources to generate energy for on-site use such as roof-top or ground mounted PV panels.

15 Thank you to everyone for your continued interest and participation in the REGPA development