How the Programmatic EIS Is Prepared

The Solar Energy Development Programmatic EIS will be prepared according to the terms of regulations for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act.

The President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has issued regulations for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. These regulations identify the steps that must be taken in the preparation of a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). These steps are:

1. A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the Programmatic EIS is published in the Federal Register. (Note: the NOI for the Solar Energy Development Programmatic EIS is also available on the Documents page of this Web site.)



2. The NOI announces a scoping period during which written and other comments on the content of the programmatic EIS are gathered, including statements made at public meetings.



3. A Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Draft Programmatic EIS) is prepared, which, at a minimum, includes:
1. Summary;
2. Purpose of and need for action;
3. Alternatives, including proposed action;
4. Affected environment; and
5. Environmental consequences.


4. A Notice of Availability (NOA) is published in the Federal Register announcing the distribution of the Draft Programmatic EIS, announcing a public comment period, and describing how the public may comment, including the location and schedule of public meetings on the Draft Programmatic EIS.



5. A Final Programmatic EIS is prepared that includes descriptions of public comments on the draft and discussions on how they were addressed in the Final Programmatic EIS.



6. An NOA is published in the Federal Register notifying the public that the Final EIS has been issued.



7. A Record of Decision (ROD) is published in the Federal Register no sooner than 30 days after publication of the Final EIS. The ROD describes the agency's decision regarding the proposed action.

The Draft and Final PEIS documents, the Notices of Intent and Availability, and the ROD will be available for downloading and browsing on the Documents page when they are published.

Approach for the Solar Energy Development PEIS

To consider the variety of resource issues and concerns identified, the Agencies will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the PEIS. Specialists with expertise in the following disciplines will be involved in the planning process: solar energy, wildlife and fisheries, vegetation, air quality, outdoor recreation, landscape architecture, archaeology, paleontology, hydrology, soils, sociology, and economics.

The PEIS will describe the purpose and need for the proposed actions, including the effects of solar energy development on the nation's energy supply, economy, and energy security. It will also describe solar energy technologies; the distribution of solar energy resources on a regional scale; activities to be undertaken for site monitoring, evaluation, and utility-scale development; the impacts associated with implementing current technologies; and mitigation measures and constraints relevant to solar energy development.

The PEIS will consider ongoing transmission planning efforts underway (e.g., the Western Governors' Association Renewable Energy Zone Project; the California Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative, and the PEIS entitled Designation of Energy Corridors on Federal Land in the 11 Western States (DOE/EIS-0386) in evaluating electricity transmission access issues associated with solar energy development in the six-state study area. The necessity of designation of additional electricity transmission corridors on BLM-administered lands to facilitate utility-scale solar energy development will be considered. The PEIS may conduct NEPA analysis for a limited number of site-specific corridor designations on BLM-administered lands, as appropriate.

As currently envisioned, the PEIS will evaluate direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts to wildlife, wildlife habitat, threatened and endangered species, and vegetation; proximity to wilderness or other special management areas; and impacts to cultural, paleontological, socioeconomic, visual, and water resources. These resources are recognized as significant issues associated with utility-scale solar energy development.