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

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

3. Western Interconnection
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 Electricity Coordinating Council

4. Non-Planning Functions
WECC Functions
Non-Planning Functions
Planning Functions
Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement
Standards Development
Market-Operations Interface
Operator Training
WREGIS
System Adequacy
System Stability
Performance Analysis
Event Analysis

5. System Adequacy at WECC
Lead transmission expansion planning for the Western Interconnection
Annual study program
Congestion studies
Reliability Assessment Committee (RAC)
Technical analysis
Studies
Data
Scenarios
Subcommittees and Work Groups
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

6. Environmental Data Work Group (EDWG)
Formed in June 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
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

7. EDWG – broad involvement
Transmission Stakeholders
Renewable Developers
State, Provincial and Federal Agencies
Tribes and First Nations
Environmental Advocates
Other Stakeholders
Carl takes over for slides 5-16
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

8. Environmental/Cultural data sources
Preferred Data
Sensitive Species Areas -- Critical Habitat
Tribal Lands
Conservation Areas
Wilderness Areas
Scenic Management Areas
Cultural Resource Survey
Information is gathered on protected areas and mapped
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

9. Risk Classification System Review of Study Case Results
EDWG Products
Available
Reviewed for Quality
Relevant to Transmission Planning
Preferred Data Sets
Four Risk Levels
Low Risk (1) to Exclusion Area (4)
Risk Classification System
Compares relative risks of transmission alternatives
Alternatives identified in long-term study cases
Available for use outside of WECC
Comparison Methodology
Considers “environmental risk contours”
Also considers cultural risks
Considers capital costs of “bending lines”
Review of Study Case Results
The EDTF is itself a stakeholder participation-driven effort. It includes Utilities, environmental, wildlife, and cultural resource interests as well as independent and incumbent transmission owners.
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

10. Cultural Resource Data
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
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

11. EDWG and Cooperating Organizations
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 Council et al.
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

12. TransCanyon Cross-Tie Project Central Utah-Central Nevada (362 km)
Needs a home or more detailed description.
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

13. Oregon Solar Potential Study Black & Veatch/Portland General Electric
Needs a home or more detailed description
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14. Development of EDWG Environmental and Cultural Data
Carl Zichella,
Natural Resources Defense Council, previous EDWG chair
Transition to Nate’s Demo
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15. Value of Environmental/Cultural Resource Data
Environmental/ Cultural Products
Identify Areas of Least Impact
Preserve Sensitive Resources
Save Time and Money
Facilitate lines needed for reliability
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

16. Western Electricity Coordinating Council
Planning vs. Siting
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
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

17. Development of the EDWG Data Repository
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
An example of private resources would be Audubon bird habitat data.
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

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

19. What Is Cultural Resource Data?
Tribal and Indigenous Cultural Resources
Cultural Artifacts
Archeological Resources
Historical Artifacts
Source: WECC Environmental Data Working Group
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

20. Cultural Data Challenges
Important, but difficult to acquire
Gaps in geospatial data
Acquiring and standardizing across jurisdictions
Limitations on sharing due to protection concerns
Need to document while avoiding or mitigating sensitive areas
Source: WECC Environmental Data Working Group
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

21. Cultural Resource Data Approach
Designation
Name
Description
Category A
Lowest Cultural Resource Risk or Uncertainty
“Low Density” of sites that have been surveyed in the last 10 years
Category B
Moderate Cultural Resource Risk or Uncertainty
Areas where a “Low Density” of sites has been identified, but where the survey information is older (>10 years)
Category C
High Cultural Resource Risk or Uncertainty
Areas with a “Moderate Site Density” (regardless of when or if a survey has been conducted in the area).
Category D
Highest Cultural Resource Risk or Uncertainty
Areas with a “High Site Density” regardless of when or if a survey has been conducted in the area.
Category E
Unknown Cultural Resource Risk or Uncertainty
Areas with a zero site density and where no surveys have been conducted.
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

22. Additional Functionality: Transmission Cost Calculators
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.
Transition to Nate’s Demo
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

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

24. Western Electricity Coordinating Council
Contacts
EDTF Chair
Fred Heutte
NW Energy Coalition
WECC Staff Liaison
B. K. Khetenini
xxxx
Western Electricity Coordinating Council