BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE CALIFORNIA VALLEY SOLAR RANCH PROJECT SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Covering the California Jewel-flower, San Joaquin Woollythreads, Kern Primrose Sphinx Moth, Longhorn Fairy Shrimp, Vernal Pool Fairy Shrimp, Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard, California Condor, Mountain Plover, San Joaquin Kit Fox, and Giant Kangaroo Rat Prepared for: High Plains Ranch II, LLC A subsidiary of SunPower Corporation, Systems 1414 Harbour Way South Richmond, CA 94804 (510) 260-8376 ¢ Fax: (510) 540-0552 Contact: Renee Robin Prepared by: 7815 N. Palm Avenue, Suite 310 Fresno, California 93711 (559) 476-3160 ¢ Fax: (559) 476-3170 Contact: Brian Boroski, Ph.D., Principal November 2010 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION High Plains Ranch II, LLC (HPR II), a wholly owned subsidiary of SunPower Corporation, Systems (“SunPower”) proposes to construct a 250-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) energy plant, the California Valley Solar Ranch (CVSR Project), on approximately 4,747 acres of rangeland in eastern San Luis Obispo County, California. The CVSR Project includes construction and operation of the Solar Generation Facility where the solar array complexes and facilities will be located; construction and operation of a generation tie-line to convey electricity generated by the Solar Generation Facility to a switchyard; construction and operation of the switchyard, where transfer of electricity from the generation tie-line to an existing Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) transmission line will occur; reconductoring of the PG&E transmission line to allow it to handle increased electrical capacity; and expansion and operation of a quarry from which aggregate materials will be obtained for the Project. All of these activities will be part of a single federal action, as described in the next section. However, the reconductoring component of the Project is analyzed in a separate Biological Assessment (BA) prepared by ICF on behalf of PG&E. Therefore, this BA covers the effects of the activities concerning the Solar Generation Facility, generation tie-line, switchyard, and quarry. The total development footprint in these latter four areas encompasses approximately 1,475 acres. The CVSR Project incorporates important conservation measures, including Applicant-Proposed Measures (APMs) designed to reduce impacts on biological resources; the preservation, enhancement, and maintenance of approximately 3,272 acres that would be managed on-site as conservation lands to support special-status species; and preservation, enhancement, and maintenance of off-site conservation lands for special-status species to support a regional strategy for the conservation of these species in the Carrizo Plain. PURPOSE OF THIS BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT On August 27, 2010, the Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Guarantee Program Office (LGPO) selected SunPower’s application for due diligence review for a federal loan guarantee for the CVSR, officially commencing a proposed federal action on the CVSR Project. The proposed action under consideration by DOE is whether to issue a federal loan guarantee under Title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 05), as amended by Section 406 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, P.S. 111-5 (the “Recovery Act”). As a proposed federal action, all components of the Project are subject to NEPA compliance. This action, as described in this BA, involves DOE providing a loan guarantee to support the construction and start-up of the CVSR Project. Because construction and operation of the proposed CVSR may affect species listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), DOE is requesting formal consultation of the USFWS under Section 7(a)(2) of the ESA. i TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................. i INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... i PURPOSE OF THIS BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT................................................................ i TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................................ ii LIST OF PREPARERS/CONTRIBUTORS................................................................................... v DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED ACTION................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION/OVERVIEW................................................................................................ 1 PROJECT LOCATION .............................................................................................................. 4 PROJECT SITE SELECTION ................................................................................................... 4 PROJECT SITE DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................... 6 PROJECT DESCRIPTION....................................................................................................... 11 Temporary Facilities ............................................................................................................. 11 Permanent Facilities.............................................................................................................. 12 Structures .............................................................................................................................. 19 Twisselman Quarry............................................................................................................... 20 Landscape Design ................................................................................................................. 20 Site Disturbance.................................................................................................................... 21 Erosion Control..................................................................................................................... 22 Utilities.................................................................................................................................. 23 Water Supply Facilities......................................................................................................... 23 Wastewater............................................................................................................................ 25 Site Circulation ..................................................................................................................... 25 Vegetation Management for Fire Suppression ..................................................................... 25 Primary Staging Area............................................................................................................ 26 Installation Phases................................................................................................................. 26 Personnel............................................................................................................................... 28 Personnel and Off-site Traffic .............................................................................................. 28 On-site Vehicle Movement................................................................................................... 30 Operations............................................................................................................................. 32 Maintenance.......................................................................................................................... 33 Decommissioning ................................................................................................................. 35 Hazards and Hazardous Materials ........................................................................................ 37 CONSERVATION MEASURES INCORPORATED INTO THE PROJECT........................ 40 Design Measures................................................................................................................... 40 Avoidance/Minimization Measures...................................................................................... 42 General Avoidance and Minimization Measures.................................................................. 43 San Joaquin Kit Fox Avoidance and Minimization Measures.............................................. 47 Giant Kangaroo Rat Avoidance and Minimization Measures .............................................. 49 California Jewel-flower and San Joaquin Woollythreads Avoidance and Minimization Measures ............................................................................................................................... 50 Kern Primrose Sphinx Moth Avoidance and Minimization Measures................................. 51 Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard Avoidance and Minimization Measures................................. 52 California Condor Avoidance and Minimization Measures ................................................. 53 ii Longhorn Fairy Shrimp and Vernal Pool Fairy Shrimp Avoidance and Minimization Measures ............................................................................................................................... 54 Site Revegetation and Habitat Management Plans ............................................................... 54 Compensatory Conservation Measures................................................................................. 55 ACTION AREA...........................................................................................................................