1. Environmental and Cultural Data Products
Carl Zichella - Chair, EDWG
Byron Woertz - WECC
Dan Moreno and Nate Wagoner - ICF
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

2. Presentation Overview
Data Testing and Analysis
IID Hoober-to-SONGS potential project
Data Viewer  
Analysis Capabilities Upgrade 
Transmission Line Data
Interoperability with other Data Services
Solar in the San Joaquin Valley
Cultural Resource Data 
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

3. Data Testing and Analysis
Applying WECC Data to real-world projects is an ongoing focus of the EDWG:
Test validity of the current Environmental Risk Classification system
Identify new planning level environmental considerations driving transmission siting
Educate stakeholders about availability of the Data Products and their use for early project screening
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

4. Data Testing and Analysis: Hoober-SONGS
WECC partnered with Imperial Irrigation District (IID) to evaluate the Hoober-SONGS Transmission Line Project:
IID provided WECC with GIS data layer of the line
Review IID’s initial potential line routing
Analyze Area Types & Risk Categories crossed
Develop a “WECC least environmental risk” corridor based on Risk Category Data Layer
Compare WECC’s vs. IID’s alternative
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

5. Testing Environmental Risk Classification on Hoober-Songs
This map shows the proposed Hoober-SONGS line overlaid onto the Environmental Risk Classes.
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

6. Testing Environmental Risk Classification on Hoober-Songs
Overlaying the transmission line onto the Risk Classes, Slope, Land Cover, and Counties generates summary statistics – showing how many linear miles of the line crosses each resource category.
Summary Statistics
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

7. Testing Environmental Risk Classification on Hoober-Songs
In the vicinity of Salton Sea, the proposed line crosses a Risk Class 4 area -- the Mecca Hills Wilderness Area. The proponent elected to cross this area rather than cross the reservation to the west.
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

8. Testing Environmental Risk Classification on Hoober-Songs
We ran a least-cost-paths analysis on the risk classes. This analysis seeks out the route connecting Hoober to SONGS that accumulates the least amount of risk across its entire length.
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

9. Testing Environmental Risk Classification on Hoober-Songs
We found that for much of the length of the proposed route, it followed the least-cost-path, which generally represented existing transportation or transmission corridors. In some locations, the proposed route deviated from the least-cost path. Issues such as terrain or other natural features might affect the siting of the route.
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

10. Data Testing and Analysis: Hoober-SONGS
Lessons Learned
Overall, IID and WECC track very closely!
Issues related to terrain and individual, siting level concerns appear to drive some of the deviations
Interpretation of “highest risk” areas
IID anticipates greater cost/time/uncertainty crossing Indian Reservations (RCC 3) than Wilderness Areas (RCC 4)
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

11. Data Testing and Analysis: Hoober-SONGS?
Next Steps:
Re-evaluate Indian Reservations as Risk Category 3?
Compare final approved line vs. Risk Classification recommended line?
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

12. Data Viewer: Analysis Upgrades
Current Functionality:
View/Download WECC’s Environmental and Cultural Data Sets
Import other data sets from an organization’s ArcGIS Online account or other web-based sources (e.g. BLM)
Potential New Functionality:
User creates a new transmission line on the map
User receives summary statistics describing environmental risk
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

13. Data Viewer: Analysis Upgrades
Step 1: Sketch a line
User would draw a transmission line route based on Risk Category or any other features of interest (e.g., terrain)
User would save their line, which would be available for later use
Edit
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

14. Data Viewer: Analysis Upgrades
Step 2: Perform the Analysis
User would select the data layers to compare against their new transmission line:
Risk Classification Category
Area Type
Land Use (e.g., Ag Land)
Slope
Others?
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

15. Data Viewer: Analysis Upgrades
Step 3: Receive the Results
User would receive the results of the Analysis
Bar Chart with mileage statistics
Map of the transmission line
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

16. Data and Data Acquisition: Transmission
WECC is reviewing the final Platts agreement to make transmission line data available in the Data Viewer
Data received, tested, and working!
Minor fine-tuning, then ready for adding to Data Viewer
Demonstration
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

17. Data and Data Acquisition: BLM/DRECP/REA
Online map services published by BLM can be added to the WECC Data Viewer
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

18. Solar in the San Joaquin Valley
Goal: Identify areas for Solar Development
Stakeholder driven process
Collaborative approach using GIS data and analysis
Leverage WECC Risk data for transmission line siting?
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

19. Data and Data Acquisition: Cultural
WECC Presented at the Cultural Resource Data Sharing Partnership
Broad participation from agencies/SHPOs
Explained WECC’s approach to collecting and sharing cultural data
Reviewed WECC’s Cultural Data Sharing Agreement
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

20. Data and Data Acquisition: Cultural
A new interactive webmap format called a “story map” was used to tell the story of how cultural data are shared and analyzed.
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

21. Data and Data Acquisition: Cultural
Cultural Resource Data Sharing Partnership meeting helped identify new targets for Data Provider outreach:
Outreach focus for new potential data partners:
AZ and MT
Seeking EDWG volunteers for outreach to:
BC, AB, ID, NM, CA, OR, federal agencies
Arizona: AZSITE Board expected to rule on Monday whether data will be shared.
Montana: Reviewing internally.
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

22. Data and Data Acquisition: Cultural
WECC’s Cultural Data Sharing Agreement has been submitted for review and signature to existing and potential partner Data Providers
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

23. Data and Data Acquisition: Cultural
WECC Data Sharing Agreement Content:
Benefits of sharing cultural data to the providers:
WECC/Transmission Stakeholders can consider cultural resources earlier in planning
WECC/Transmission Stakeholders gain a unique way to visualize cultural resources at a regional scale
Cultural Data Providers coordinate on regional issues and improve data standardization
Western Electricity Coordinating Council

24. Data and Data Acquisition: Cultural
WECC Data Sharing Agreement Content:
Data Security Process
Data Format Expectations
Data Processing & Output for Data Viewer
Inventory/Survey Areas, Cultural Site Density
Cultural Risk Categories
Detailed Technical Geoprocessing Steps
Western Electricity Coordinating Council