Environmental and Cultural Data for Western Interconnection Transmission Planning

1. Environmental and Cultural Datafor Western Interconnection Transmission Planning WECC Environmental Data Work Group 8 November 2018 Western Electricity Coordinating Council

2. Fred Heutte,NW Energy Coalition,EDWG chair Introduction to WECC Environmental Data Work Group Western Electricity Coordinating Council

3. Western Interconnection – 460 million sq km US (14 states) Canada (British Columbia, Alberta) Mexico (Baja Mexico Norte) Population – 80+ million Generation capacity – 260 GW Transmission network – 250,000 km A large part of the Western Interconnection is public land – system planning challenges: • Protection of vulnerable species, habitats, and vegetation • Preservation of game rangeland, migration corridors, and critical rivers and streams • Cultural considerations, including National Parks and Monuments, and Native American tribal lands and sacred sites Western Interconnection Western Electricity Coordinating Council

4. WECC Functions

5. System Adequacy at WECC Western Electricity Coordinating Council

6. Formed in June 2010 -- initially as Environmental Data Task Force (EDTF) Representation by broad array of stakeholders and subject matter experts Environmental and cultural resources and risk factors Provides geospatially explicit data and tools at a transmission corridor level (not at siting level) Provides input to transmission expansion planning process Makes data resources available publicly –WECC Environmental Data Viewer Environmental Data Work Group (EDWG) Western Electricity Coordinating Council

7. EDWG – broad involvement Western Electricity Coordinating Council

8. Environmental/Cultural data sources Western Electricity Coordinating Council

9. EDWG Products Western Electricity Coordinating Council

10. Cultural resource data differs from environmental resource data • Location and identification of cultural resources is highly sensitive • Using cultural resource data in transmission planning requires a different approach • Relative density of known cultural sites • Whether and when a location has been surveyed Cultural Resource Data Western Electricity Coordinating Council

11. Data exchange and cooperative projects Transmission Owners and Developers– Xcel, PacifiCorp, Duke American Transmission Co., Trans West Express, TransCanyon Agencies and Associations– US Bureau of Land Management– Western Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA)– California Natural Resources Agency– Avian Power Line Interaction Committee (APLIC)– Western States Water Councilet al. EDWG and Cooperating Organizations Western Electricity Coordinating Council

12. TransCanyon Cross-Tie ProjectCentral Utah-Central Nevada (362 km) Western Electricity Coordinating Council

13. Oregon Solar Potential StudyBlack & Veatch/Portland General Electric Western Electricity Coordinating Council

14. Carl Zichella, Natural Resources Defense Council,previous EDWG chair Development of EDWG Environmental and Cultural Data Western Electricity Coordinating Council

15. Value of Environmental/Cultural Resource Data Western Electricity Coordinating Council

16. Planning at a “high level” • Not a environmental review • Not too granular • Intended to streamline future permitting • Siting done “close to the ground” • Formal environmental review/permitting, localized decisions Planning vs. Siting Western Electricity Coordinating Council

17. Environmental and Cultural Data and Sources • Data sources • Seek industry and other stakeholder recommendations • Focus on governmental and reputable private sources • Data quality determinations • Risk Classification Assignment • Statute and regulation considerations • Local versus national • Professional judgment by subject matter experts Development of the EDWG Data Repository Western Electricity Coordinating Council

18. Source: WECC Environmental Data Working Group Western Electricity Coordinating Council

19. What Is Cultural Resource Data? Source: WECC Environmental Data Working Group Western Electricity Coordinating Council

20. Cultural Data Challenges Source: WECC Environmental Data Working Group Western Electricity Coordinating Council

21. Cultural Resource Data Approach Western Electricity Coordinating Council

22. Calculators for Capital and Mitigation costs • Costs for transmission line (cumulative and per mile) and substations • User tailors to line components (kV, conductor, structure, new/re-conductor) • Includes slope and land cover multipliers • Intended for use: (1) by WECC in corridor optimization, and (2) by stakeholders for comparing transmission alternative. Additional Functionality: Transmission Cost Calculators Western Electricity Coordinating Council

23. Jon Walker & Nate Wagoner ICF, EDWG technical consultants WECC Environmental Data Viewer Western Electricity Coordinating Council

24. Contacts EDTF Chair Fred Heutte NW Energy Coalition fred@nwenergy.org +1 503.757-6222 WECC Staff Liaison B. K. Khetenini bketineni@wecc.biz +1 801.819-xxxx Western Electricity Coordinating Council