,The geospatial data reflected in this Protected Area Layer contain minor data versioning and consolidation updates from the previous Protected Area Layer. The components of the Protected Area Layer mostly pertain to natural and wilderness areas where development of utility-scale renewable energy is prohibited, and were heavily based on RETI 1.0 blackout areas.,The protected area layer for solar PV technology includes the BLM Western Solar Plan, as well as the latest Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat Management Areas (note: the Sage Grouse Habitat Management Areas provide separate exclusion areas for solar, wind, and geothermal resources).,More information is found in the CEC presentation from the August 19 webinar, as well as the 2023 Land Use Screens Staff Report in the CEC Energy Planning Library. ,

,The wind techno-economic exclusion layer has been updated for proposed use in the current 2026-2027 IRP cycle. The previous version was developed in 2023. Two changes are reflected in this current draft update:,More information is found in the CEC and CPUC presentations from the August 19 webinar, as well as the 2023 Land Use Screens Staff Report in the CEC Energy Planning Library. ,,1. Lopez, A. et. al. “U.S. Renewable Energy Technical Potentials: A GIS-Based Analysis,” 2012. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/51946.pdf,

,This version of the base exclusions incorporates the latest draft version of the Protected Area Layer and the latest Techno-economic Exclusion layers for wind. The base exclusions form the fundamental exclusion set that the additional planning priorities of the Core Land Use Screen is added to. The merged footprints of these primary two layers are modified by the Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat Management Areas, as well as the Bureau of Land Management DRECP Land Use Plan Amendment (LUPA) development focus areas (DFA), variance process lands (VPL), and the general public lands (GPL). These DRECP LUPA areas allow for renewable energy applications and are therefore exempt (erased) from the base exclusions layer, even if the protected area layer or techno-economic exclusion layer identified the area as an exclusion. The DFAs are partitioned by technology type so that only the DFAs that allow wind energy are applied in this modification.,The area of California remaining after removing the base exclusions is called the resource potential basemap. It forms the starting point (or base) used in renewable resource estimation and defines where environmental and land-use datasets can be applied in exploring implications of renewable resource development.,Note: Existing project footprints are also included as part of the base exclusions.,More information is found in the CEC presentation from the August 19 webinar, as well as the 2023 Land Use Screens Staff Report in the CEC Energy Planning Library. ,

,This version of the base exclusions incorporates the latest draft version of the Protected Area Layer and the latest Techno-economic Exclusion layers for wind. The base exclusions form the fundamental exclusion set that the additional planning priorities of the Core Land Use Screen is added to. The merged footprints of these primary two layers are modified by the Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat Management Areas, as well as the Bureau of Land Management DRECP Land Use Plan Amendment (LUPA) development focus areas (DFA), variance process lands (VPL), and the general public lands (GPL). These DRECP LUPA areas allow for renewable energy applications and are therefore exempt (erased) from the base exclusions layer, even if the protected area layer or techno-economic exclusion layer identified the area as an exclusion. The DFAs are partitioned by technology type so that only the DFAs that allow wind energy are applied in this modification.,The area of California remaining after removing the base exclusions is called the resource potential basemap. It forms the starting point (or base) used in renewable resource estimation and defines where environmental and land-use datasets can be applied in exploring implications of renewable resource development.,Note: Existing project footprints are also included as part of the base exclusions.,More information is found in the CEC presentation from the August 19 webinar, as well as the 2023 Land Use Screens Staff Report in the CEC Energy Planning Library. ,

,This version of the base exclusions incorporates the latest draft version of the Protected Area Layer (Solar) and the techno-economic exclusion layer. The base exclusions form the fundamental exclusion set that the additional planning priorities of the Core Land Use Screen is added to. The merged footprints of these primary two layers are modified by the Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat Management Areas, the Bureau of Land Management Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) Land Use Plan Amendment (LUPA) Development Focus Areas (DFAs), Variance Process Lands (VPL), and the General Public Lands (GPL), as well as the 2024 BLM Western Solar Plan. These areas allow for renewable energy applications and are therefore exempt (erased) from the base exclusions layer, even if the protected area layer or techno-economic exclusion layer identified the area as an exclusion. The DFAs are partitioned by technology type so that only the DFAs that allow solar energy are applied in this modification.,The area of California remaining after removing the base exclusions is called the resource potential basemap. It forms the starting point (or base) used in renewable resource estimation and defines where environmental and land-use datasets can be applied in exploring implications of renewable resource development.,Note: Existing project footprints are also included as part of the base exclusions.,More information is found in the CEC presentation from the August 19 webinar, as well as the 2023 Land Use Screens Staff Report in the CEC Energy Planning Library. ,

,This version of the base exclusions incorporates the latest draft version of the Protected Area Layer (Solar) and the techno-economic exclusion layer. The base exclusions form the fundamental exclusion set that the additional planning priorities of the Core Land Use Screen is added to. The merged footprints of these primary two layers are modified by the Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat Management Areas, the Bureau of Land Management Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) Land Use Plan Amendment (LUPA) Development Focus Areas (DFAs), Variance Process Lands (VPL), and the General Public Lands (GPL), as well as the 2024 BLM Western Solar Plan. These areas allow for renewable energy applications and are therefore exempt (erased) from the base exclusions layer, even if the protected area layer or techno-economic exclusion layer identified the area as an exclusion. The DFAs are partitioned by technology type so that only the DFAs that allow solar energy are applied in this modification.,The area of California remaining after removing the base exclusions is called the resource potential basemap. It forms the starting point (or base) used in renewable resource estimation and defines where environmental and land-use datasets can be applied in exploring implications of renewable resource development.,Note: Existing project footprints are also included as part of the base exclusions.,More information is found in the CEC presentation from the August 19 webinar, as well as the 2023 Land Use Screens Staff Report in the CEC Energy Planning Library. ,

The datasets that are included in the composite layer making up the protected area layer are given below:,

,The site suitability criteria included in the techno-economic land use screens are listed below. As this list is an update to previous cycles, tribal lands, prime farmland, and flood zones are not included as they are not technically infeasible for development. The techno-economic site suitability exclusion thresholds are presented in table 1. Distances indicate the minimum distance from each feature for commercial scale wind development,Attributes:,,

,This dataset provides an estimate of terrestrial landscape intactness, (i.e. condition), based on the extent to which human impacts such as agriculture, urban development, natural resource extraction, and invasive species have disrupted the landscape across the State of California. Terrestrial intactness values are high in areas where these impacts are low. This dataset, updated April 2025, is the most recent version created for CAL FIRE using the open-source logic modeling framework Environmental Evaluation Modeling System (EEMS). Spatially-explicit logic modeling hierarchically integrates numerous and diverse datasets into composite layers, quantifying information in a continuous rather than binary fashion. This technique yields accessible decision-support products that agencies can use to craft scientifically-rigorous management strategies. The analysis was carried out at 1 sq. km resolution.The California Statewide Landscape Intactness model integrates data from many different sources: agriculture development (from FRAP Vegetation, and CDL Cropscape), urban development (from LANDFIRE EVT and NLCD Impervious Surfaces), polluted areas (from NHD treatment ponds and EPA Superfund and Brownfield sites), linear development (OHV routes from owlsheadgps.com, roads from TIGER (broken down by type), utility lines, railroads, and pipelines from various state and BLM sources), point development (communication towers from the FCC), energy and mining development (from the state’s Office of Mine Reclamation mine dataset, larger mine footprints, state geothermal wells, USGS wind turbines, solar footprints, renewable projects in development, oil refineries and state oil/gas wells), planned clear cuts from Statewide Timber Harvest Plans, invasive vegetation (compiled from multiple sources including LANDFIRE EVT and USGS INHABIT), and measures of natural vegetation fragmentation. Input data range in currency from 2011-2024; the majority of data portray the more recent condition of the landscape. Results apply to terrestrial areas only. (Water bodies are omitted from the final dataset.) Online interactive maps showing the intactness model’s input data, intermediate layers, and final results can be explored via the Conservation Biology Institute’s platforms EEMS Online and Data Basin.Caution is warranted in interpreting this dataset because it provides a single estimate of terrestrial intactness based on available data. The degree of terrestrial intactness likely varies for a particular species or conservation element and may depend on additional factors or thresholds not included in this model. This model should be taken as a general measure of intactness that can serve as a template for evaluating across many species at the ecoregion scale, and provides a framework within which species-specific parameters can be incorporated for more detailed analyses.Work funded by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection ( CAL FIRE ), Fire and Resource Assessment Program ( FRAP ).,

,The site suitability criteria included in the techno-economic land use screens are listed below. As this list is an update to previous cycles, tribal lands, prime farmland, and flood zones are not included as they are not technically infeasible for development. The techno-economic site suitability exclusion thresholds are presented in table 1. Distances indicate the minimum distance from each feature for commercial scale wind development,Attributes:,,