Aspen Provides Full Services For One Of The First Solar Projects With Approval Tiered To BLM DRECP
Large solar and energy storage projects are essential for meeting federal and state greenhouse gas emissions reduction and renewable energy goals, and Aspen is doing its part to contribute to these projects. Since 2017, Aspen Environmental Group has been supporting Intersect Power (IP) in its development of solar and energy storage projects in eastern Riverside County. Most recently, Aspen has provided a wide range of environmental, technical, and permitting services in support of IP’s Oberon Renewable Energy Project, a 500-megawatt solar photovoltaic facility with integrated energy storage and a generation-tie line that connects into the statewide power grid. Aspen completed environmental analyses under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)) and under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board.
The Oberon project is located approximately 80 miles east of Palm Springs, in the Desert Center area of Riverside County where there have been several large solar energy projects proposed and developed. The facility will be located on approximately 2,600 acres within a 5,000-acre application area on BLM-administered land.
Projects like Oberon are essential for meeting federal and state greenhouse gas emissions reduction and renewable energy goals; the current federal target is to permit 25 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2025. California State Senate Bill 100 requires a 60 percent renewable energy portfolio standard by 2030. Aspen is proud to be a part of these ambitious mandates for transition to a carbon-free generation in the future.
Aspen’s NEPA Environmental Assessment (EA) was unique because it was one of the first large solar projects approved without preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The EA was tiered from the Final Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) and Land Use Plan Amendment (LUPA) (2015) (both documents were managed and prepared with Aspen technical assistance The DRECP LUPA amended the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan of 1980 and had two primary goals. One was to provide a streamlined process for the development of utility-scale renewable energy generation and transmission in the deserts of Southern California. The second goal was to provide for the long-term conservation and management of special-status species and desert vegetation communities, as well as other physical, cultural, scenic, and social resources within the desert.
On December 14, 2022, Aspen’s Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) was certified, and the project was unanimously approved by the Regional Water Board. On January 13, 2022, BLM issued its final EA, also prepared by Aspen, along with its Finding of No New Significant Impacts and Decision Record.
Over the course of supporting IP on the Oberon project, Aspen’s services also included surveys for biological and cultural resources, monitoring during geotechnical testing, and support for required permits, including the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Incidental Take Permit and Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreement and Regional Water Board’s Waste Discharge Requirements. Most recently, Aspen prepared and coordinated agency review of the permit preconstruction compliance requirements, and worked with the BLM, IP, and their contractor on the limited and full Notices to Proceed with construction. Aspen is also overseeing the construction compliance program.