Добавил:
Upload Опубликованный материал нарушает ваши авторские права? Сообщите нам.
Вуз: Предмет: Файл:
Экология ВИЭ / СЭС / Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Solar Energy Development.pdf
Скачиваний:
17
Добавлен:
31.03.2015
Размер:
9.69 Mб
Скачать

1 development assumed to occur on the variance lands, the program alternative meets the projected 2 demand for solar energy development.

3

4

5 6.2 IMPACTS OF THE SEZ PROGRAM ALTERNATIVE

6

7Under the SEZ program alternative (hereafter referred to as the “SEZ alternative”), the

8 BLM would adopt the same set of programmatic ROW authorization policies and design features

9for utility-scale solar energy development as proposed under the program alternative, but would

10authorize such solar energy development only within SEZs. Unlike the program alternative,

11lands outside of SEZs would be excluded from utility-scale solar energy ROW applications.

12Under this alternative, about 285,000 acres (1,153 km2) of BLM-administered lands would be

13available for ROW applications. As part of this Final Solar PEIS, the BLM has also proposed a

14protocol to identify new or expanded SEZs (see Section A.2.6 of Appendix A). Per the proposed

15protocol, new SEZs would be relatively large areas that provide highly suitable locations for

16utility-scale solar development: locations where solar development is economically and

17technically feasible, where there is good potential for connecting new electricity-generating

18plants to the transmission distribution system, and where there is generally low resource conflict.

19The identification of new or expanded SEZs would have to go through a land use planning

20process and would be subject to the appropriate environmental analysis.

21

22Under the SEZ alternative, the elements of the BLM’s new program under this alternative

23would be implemented through amendment of the land use plans within the six-state study area

24and other applicable policy-making tools.

25

26The following subsections discuss the effectiveness of the SEZ alternative in meeting the

27BLM’s established program objectives and describe the potential environmental impacts of the

28alternative.

29

30

31 6.2.1 Facilitate Near-Term Solar Energy Development (Pace of Development)

32

33The impacts on the pace of development under the SEZ alternative would be much the

34same as those described for the program alternative in Section 6.1.1. Elements of the

35authorization process (including the proposed competitive process) and incentives for projects in

36SEZs described in this Final Solar PEIS (Section 2.2.2.2.3) could reduce the amount of time and

37resources allocated by government, developers, and stakeholders to obtain ROW authorizations.

38As with the program alternative, these outcomes would likely increase the agency’s ability to

39meet the mandates of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and Secretarial Order 3285A1 (Secretary of

40the Interior 2010).

41

42

43 6.2.2 Minimize Environmental Impacts

44

45Similar to the program alternative, environmental impacts under the SEZ alternative

46would be minimized in the following ways:

Final Solar PEIS

6-25

July 2012

1• SEZs have been identified as areas where there is generally low resource

2

conflict. Because the land area for utility-scale solar energy development

3

would be restricted to SEZs, known sensitive resources would be avoided for

4

the most part, SEZ-specific design features would protect sensitive resources

5

identified in SEZs, and uncertainty regarding the distribution of impacts,

6

including possible fragmentation of habitat, would be reduced.

7

 

8• The proposed programmatic and SEZ-specific design features would address

9

the full array of potential impacts associated with each phase of development.

10

In addition, regional mitigation plans for SEZs would be developed to address

11

unavoidable resource impacts.

12

 

13

• The concentration of development in the SEZs could allow for the

14

consolidation of related infrastructure (e.g., roads, transmission lines) and less

15

total land disturbance.

16

 

17

• Additional environmental analysis, and the coordination and/or consultation

18

with other federal and state agencies, government-to-government consultation,

19

and public input required prior to authorization of individual projects in SEZs

20

would ensure thorough review of the proposed locations of development.

21

 

22

• The requirement to implement a monitoring and adaptive management

23

strategy would ensure that appropriate mitigation measures would be

24

implemented if unforeseen impacts were identified during project planning,

25

construction, and/or operations.

26

 

27

• Because of the closer proximity of individual solar development projects to

28

one another that could occur under the SEZ alternative, cumulative impacts

29

for some resources (e.g., water, visual, and socioeconomics) in localized areas

30

around the SEZs could be high; however, the certainty of the project locations

31

might allow these impacts to be more easily addressed. An analysis of the

32

potential cumulative impacts for each SEZ was included in Chapters 8

33

through 13 of the Draft Solar PEIS and has been updated as necessary for the

34

Final Solar PEIS.

35

 

36By making a specific set of lands available for ROW application (285,000 acres

37[1,153 km2]), the BLM may limit opportunities to site solar energy projects on lands determined

38to be degraded or previously disturbed. However, the BLM’s proposed protocol to identify new

39SEZs emphasizes the use of degraded, disturbed, or previously disturbed areas, including

40possible partnerships with nonfederal landowners, as appropriate places to site new SEZs

41(see Section A.2.6 of Appendix A).

42

43Table 6.1-2 summarizes the environmental impacts that might be associated with

44solar energy development under the SEZ alternative and the extent to which the impacts would

45be mitigated by the programmatic exclusions, policies, and design features. As reflected in that

46table, it is not possible to fully assess the impacts on some resources (e.g., specially designated

Final Solar PEIS

6-26

July 2012

1areas and lands with wilderness characteristics, recreation, military aviation, water resources,

2 vegetation, wildlife and aquatic biota, special status species, visual resources, cultural resources, 3 Native American concerns, and environmental justice), because they are dependent on specific 4 project details not defined at the programmatic level. This type of analysis would be conducted 5 through additional project-specific analyses that would be required prior to the development of 6 projects in SEZs.

7

8Through the SEZ-specific analyses completed as part of the Draft Solar PEIS, the BLM

9discovered some potentially significant impacts on various resources and resource uses that

10could result from solar energy development in the SEZs. As discussed in detail in Section 6.1.2

11on the program alternative, modifications made to the SEZs, along with implementation of

12ROW authorization policies and programmatic and SEZ-specific design features would minimize

13environmental impacts of development in the SEZs.

14

15It is anticipated that the program elements that make up the SEZ alternative would

16collectively allow the BLM to effectively identify and avoid, mitigate, and minimize potential

17adverse environmental impacts.

18

19

20 6.2.3 Minimize Social and Economic Impacts

21

22The potential socioeconomic impacts of the SEZ alternative would be similar to those

23described for the program alternative; however, both the economic benefits and the potential

24adverse economic and social impacts would be concentrated solely in the vicinity of the SEZs.

26The BLM would incur agency-related costs associated with developing, implementing,

27and managing solar energy development on BLM-administered lands. This is particularly true in

28SEZs where the BLM has committed to undertaking upfront site-specific analyses and

29consultations as well as incentives. For all projects in SEZs, the federal government will collect

30income from ROW rental payments, which include an acreage component and capacity fee

31component. Further, as discussed in Section 2.2.2.2.1 in this Final Solar PEIS, the BLM is

32proposing to offer lands within SEZs through a competitive process (see Section 2.2.2.2.1 of this

33Final Solar PEIS), which could result in increased revenue to the federal government. A

34competitive process, however, could increase costs for developers of solar facilities.

35

36

37 6.2.4 Provide Flexibility to Solar Industry

38

39By making fewer BLM-administered lands available for utility-scale solar energy

40development as compared to the program alternative, the SEZ alternative could reduce the

41flexibility of both the agency and developers in terms of identifying appropriate locations for

42utility-scale development. There are likely to be economically attractive sites for solar energy

43development outside of the SEZs that can meet the environmental protection measures outlined

44in the Solar PEIS. It is important to note, however, that the BLM is committed to evaluating the

45need for new or expanded SEZs in each of the six states a minimum of every 5 years as

46described in the proposed SEZ identification protocol (see Section A.2.6 of Appendix A). The

Final Solar PEIS

6-27

July 2012

1BLM will also allow petitions for new or expanded SEZs to consider solar energy development

2in specific areas of interest to industry. Consistent with existing regulations, applicants may

3 request that the BLM amend a land use plan to allow for an otherwise nonconforming proposal 4 (BLM Land Use Planning Handbook H-1601-1, Section VII(B) [BLM 2005]). While this may

5allow for some flexibility to develop outside of the currently proposed SEZs, it does not provide

6the same level of flexibility as the variance process proposed under the program alternative

7 (because a land use plan amendment would be required for development outside of SEZs in all 8 cases under the SEZ alternative).

9

10

11 6.2.5 Optimize Existing Transmission Infrastructure and Corridors

12

13Under the SEZ alternative, future solar energy development would be limited to SEZs.

14All of the proposed SEZs are located near existing transmission lines and/or corridors, and

15development in the SEZs is expected to make use of this existing transmission infrastructure.

16Under the SEZ alternative, however developers would have fewer opportunities to take

17advantage of other existing transmission infrastructure as compared to the program alternative.

19The BLM is proposing to undertake a variety of activities that will help steer future

20utility-scale solar energy development to the SEZs (see Section 2.2.2.2.3 of this Final Solar

21PEIS). These include an evaluation of the transmission needs and impacts to support anticipated

22solar development within SEZs and a commitment to engage in ongoing and comprehensive

23transmission planning efforts to ensure the recognition of SEZs as a priority in transmission

24development. The BLM will also offer incentives to developers willing to build transmission to

25SEZs. In addition, the BLM’s proposed SEZ identification protocol takes into account proximity

26to existing transmission infrastructure (see Section A.2.6 of Appendix A). Further, the BLM will

27allow petitions for new or expanded SEZs to consider solar energy development in specific areas

28of interest to industry such as in proximity to new foundational transmission lines.

29

30

31 6.2.6 Standardize and Streamline the Authorization Process

32

33The SEZ alternative would standardize requirements and reduce uncertainty for project

34applicants. It would streamline project review and approval processes, and ensure consistency in

35how utility-scale ROW applications are managed. Because the SEZ alternative would limit

36utility-scale development to those areas most intensively studied in the Solar PEIS, it is likely

37that BLM staff efforts to review and approve ROW applications would be reduced under this

38alternative (due to the opportunity for extensive tiering to the analyses presented in the Solar

39PEIS and the decisions implemented in the resultant ROD and land use plan amendments).

40

41

42 6.2.7 Meet Projected Demand for Solar Energy Development

43

44Assuming a build-out of 80% of the total land area within the currently proposed SEZs

45over the 20-year study period, the amount of land available for development under the SEZ

46alternative would be about 228,000 acres [923 km2]). Across all six states, the total lands

Final Solar PEIS

6-28

July 2012