NEPA and Large Energy Projects:

GIS as the Enabling Technology

Brian Cantwell, Amanda Hollingsworth,

John Krummel
Krummel, Jim Kuiper

Energy Issues in Land and Natural Resources

Thursday February 19th
Thursday,
2:00 pm to 3:30 pm
ROOM 209B

ESRI 2009 Federal User Conference

The Nation’s Energy Strategy and NEPA
„ IImplementing
l ti th
the comprehensive
h i energy strategy
t t established
t bli h d by
b the
th
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) requires adjusting land use plans
on federally-administered land

– Utilit
Utility grade
d wind
i d and
d solar
l energy d
development
l t on F
Federal
d l lland
d
mandated by Section 211 of EPAct

– West-wide
West wide and East-wide
East wide energy corridors for oil, gas, and hydrogen
pipelines and electricity transmission and distribution facilities on
Federal land mandated by Sec. 368 of EPAct 2005

„ The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) requires

federal agencies to consider environmental impacts of their
proposed actions and evaluate reasonable alternatives to those
actions

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Wind Energy Development PEIS
Upper Great Plains Wind Energy PEIS

„ Wind Energy Development PEIS NOI published on October 17th, 2003

• http://windeis.anl.gov/
http://windeis anl gov/
• Scope: Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon,
Utah, Washington, and Wyoming
• Evaluates ppotential impacts
p of Bureau of Land Management
g Wind
Energy Development Program

„ Upper Great Plains Wind Energy PEIS NOI published September 11th,
2008
• http://plainswindeis.anl.gov/eis/index.cfm
• Scope: All or part of Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North
Dakota, and South Dakota
• Evaluates potential impacts of Western Area Power Administration
wind energy development and associated transmission systems

3
Wind Energy Development PEIS
Upper Great Plains Wind Energy PEIS
„ NOA for Final Wind Energy Development PEIS published in Federal
Register June 24th, 2005

„ UGP Wind Energy PEIS is ongoing

– Scoping meetings held September and October, 2008
– Draft PEIS scheduled for release Fall of 2009

Wind Potential developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory

4
West-Wide Energy Corridors PEIS
„ NOI p
published in Federal Register
g September
p 25th, 2007
– http://corridoreis.anl.gov/index.cfm
– Scope: Federally-administered land in Arizona, California, Colorado,
Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, and
Washington
– Cooperating Agencies:
• Department of Energy
• Department of Defense
• Department of Interior
– Bureau of Land Management
– U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service
• Department of Agriculture
– U. S. Forest Service
– Environmental analysis of designating corridors on federal land for oil,
gas, and hydrogen pipelines and electricity transmission and
distribution facilities (energy corridors)
„ BLM and USFS Records of Decision signed Jan January,
ar 2009

5
 Solar Energy Development PEIS
„ NOI published in Federal Register May
29th, 2008
– http://solareis.anl.gov/index.cfm
– Scope: Arizona, California, Colorado,
New Mexico, Nevada, Utah
– DOE and BLM
– Assess environmental impacts
associated with the development and
implementation of agency-specific
programs that would facilitate
environmentally responsible utility-
scale solar energy development
„ S
Scoping
i meetings
ti h
held
ld M
May th
through
h JJuly,
l Solar Potential developed by the

2008 National Renewable Energy Laboratory

„ Draft EIS scheduled for release Spring of

2009

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Common Elements of Projects Mandated by Our National
Energy Policy

„ Analysis covers large geographic regions

„ Communication required
q within and across agencies
g
„ Environmental Impact Statements required by NEPA
„ Geographic Information Systems are the enabling technology
Agency Acres
BLM 271,985,539
BOR 2,704,205
DOD 27,542,265
FWS 113,762,982
NPS 84,404,607
OTHER 3 319 975
3,319,975
USFS 224,693,522
BLM State Office Field Offices
Arizona 8
California 15
Colorado 14
Idaho 12 82 National Forests
Montana 9
366 Ranger Districts
Nevada 7
New Mexico 7
Oregon/Washington 24
Utah 12
Wyoming 10

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Phase 1: The Big Picture: Initial project data acquired

„ Government Spatial Data Clearinghouses

• The National Map (http://seamless.usgs.gov/)
• The National Atlas (http://www-atlas.usgs.gov/index.html)
( p g g )
• National Elevation Dataset (http://ned.usgs.gov/)
• National Hydrography Dataset (http://nhd.usgs.gov/)
• BLM GeoCommunicator
(http://www.geocommunicator.gov/GeoComm/index.shtm)
• USDA Geospatial Data Gateway
(http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/GatewayHome.html)
• USFWS Critical Habitat Portal (http://crithab.fws.gov/)

„ National Transportation Atlas Data (Bureau of Transportation Statistics)

„ Platts PowerMap

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Phase 1: The Big Picture
„ Master database developed
p
– Naming conventions and data structure
based on Spatial Data Standard for
Facilities,, Environment,, and
Infrastructure (SDSFIE)
– Project coordinate system
– IInventory
t off data
d t received
i d anddd
data
t
included in the master database
– GIS Data Master reflects the database in
one interactive map
„ “Big Picture” data presented to decision
makers
„ Themes from the “Big Picture” data are
incorporated into maps and other visual
materials for scoping meetings

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Phase 2: Collaboration and Decision Making
„ Enhancing g the master database
– GIS Working Group formed, contacts empowered to acquire data for the
project from within their agency
– Data calls specify which data is needed and in what form it can be
accepted
t d
– Geospatial data file transfer site implemented for project
• controlled access
• transaction
t ti logs
l
• email broadcasts
„ GIS Data Master file used to analyze and visualize geospatial data for
scientists and decision makers as the database is refined
– Estimates of area, length, distance, and other spatial questions based on
geoprocessing and database queries
– Visualization customized based on the audience
• ArcReader
• PDF / GeoPDF
• Webcasts
• Web map services

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Phase 2: Collaboration and Decision Making
Webcast

Poster Maps
A R d
ArcReader

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Phase 3: Dissemination of Decisions and Data to the
Public
GIS Data Master continues to be the starting point from which to make clear
visualizations of the proposed actions for the public in the form of:

„ Printed map series

„ PDF / GeoPDF

„ ArcReader

„ KML, KMZ files (for viewing in Google Earth and NASA World Wind)

„ Web services

– Map services

– Stand-alone
S web map applications

– Mashups embedded in project web sites

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 Phase 3: Dissemination of Decisions and Data to the
Public KMZ Files for Google
g Earth

ArcReader

5 Part / 123 page Map Atlas

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Lessons Learned
„ GIS technology
t h l is
i key
k tot the
th feasibility
f ibilit off analyzing
l i energy / environment
i t
issues on regional or national scales

„ GIS specialists
i li t focused
f d on the
th project
j t need d to
t be
b “at
“ t the
th table”
t bl ” with
ith a
responsibility to keep expectations realistic

„ G
Geospatial
ti l Data
D t isi the
th limiting
li iti factor
f t in i h
how much
h GIS ttechnology
h l can
contribute to a project
– Energy infrastructure data is costly and restricted as to how it can be
disseminated to the public
p
– Ecological data is improving but still lacks continuity across large
regions
– Land use information, especially at the level of detail needed in LUPs
or RMPs, may be available only locally if at all
– The numerous types and the patchwork of legislation regarding
natural resources and other protected lands varies between agencies,
within agencies
agencies, and by location

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