Title
1. Status report on RMA ground-mounted photovoltaic permitting
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Receive a status report on ground-mounted photovoltaic permitting conducted by the Resource Management Agency (RMA).
DISCUSSION:
The Alternative Energy and Environment Committee received a report from RMA at its September 28th, 2017 meeting regarding photovoltaic permitting. The Committee requested that RMA gather further information on ground-mounted photovoltaic energy system construction permitting and report its findings specific to the following areas:
* Total number of ground-mounted photovoltaic energy system permits
* Number of permits issued by location
* Average length of time for permitting process
* Information pertaining to eliminating, waiving, or expediting the archaeological assessment for ground-mounted photovoltaic energy systems
This report responds to the Committee's research request and provides information pertaining to an analysis of all construction permits initialized in the last five years (2013-2018).
The analysis showed that 300 ground-mounted photovoltaic energy systems have been received and reviewed by the RMA since 2013. Of these, 215 permits have been finaled, and 31 permits are currently in an active, issued status or are ready-to-issue. At the time of writing, an additional 16 permits are in applied status while 38 are expired, withdrawn or voided.
A geographic analysis of ground-mounted photovoltaic energy system permit applications revealed that 80 of these applications came from the unincorporated area of Salinas, 26.7% of the total. 39 permits, 13% of the total, came from the Carmel area. An additional 35 permits, or 11.7%, came from Carmel Valley. Communities south of Salinas along Route 101 -specifically King City, Soledad, Chualar, and Gonzales - accounted for 82 of the permits, 27.3% of the total. Communities in the south of the county, here described as Greenfield, Parkf...
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