New Jersey Department of Environmental …

1 New Jersey Department of Environmental protection solar siting analysis Update December 2017 New Jersey Department of Environmental protection Bureau of Energy and Sustainability 401 East State Street Trenton, NJ 08625 i solar siting analysis Update 2017 Paul Baldauf, Assistant Commissioner Air Quality, Energy and Sustainability Paul Orlando, Director Division of Energy Security and Sustainability Robert Kettig, Chief Bureau of Energy and Sustainability Stephen Myers, Supervisor Office of Policy and Economic analysis Prepared by: Ryan Gergely Karl Hartkopf Erin Hill Anthony Bevacqua ii Executive Summary solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are a major component in New Jersey s expanding renewable energy sector.

2 solar systems continue to play a key role in New Jersey meeting the Energy Master Plan (EMP) and Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) mandates. However, it is critical that solar projects are properly sited to protect open space, natural lands and ecosystems. The solar siting analysis (2012) was developed with the purpose of providing the Department , local communities and potential solar developers with state-level guidance on siting solar PV projects using NJDEP s 2007 Land Use / Land Cover (LU/LC) data. This document is an update to that solar siting analysis (2012) in that it utilizes NJDEP s 2012 LU/LC data and it identifies percentages of land placed into specific categories for siting solar PV systems.

3 The information incorporated into this solar siting analysis Update (2017) is timely as New Jersey recently surpassed a significant milestone by exceeding two gigawatts (GW) of installed solar PV energy capacity. New Jersey , despite its limited geographic footprint, is currently ranked 5th in the United States with regards to total installed solar PV capacity. On a per square mile basis, New Jersey is ranked 1st in the United States in total installed solar PV capacity. This solar siting analysis Update (2017) identifies areas in New Jersey where the Department encourages and discourages solar PV development by utilizing a Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping tool and the NJDEP s 2012 LU/LC data.

4 Land was classified for solar PV as either Preferred , Not-Preferred or Indeterminate . Preferred lands are largely characterized as having existing impervious surfaces, typically associated with urban development, since siting solar PV at these locations would result in minimal if any additional ecosystem degradation; Not-Preferred lands were largely characterized as forests, wetlands, agricultural lands, and open space which the Department sets out to protect and preserve; and Indeterminate lands represent areas where additional information is necessary to determine whether the site is viable for siting solar PV.

5 The resulting GIS mapping application can be found within the Energy and Sustainability GIS Profile at At the state level, the analysis identified that 29% of New Jersey land is identified as Preferred for siting solar PV, dominated by existing residential and commercial areas. Furthermore, the analysis notes that 63% of New Jersey land was identified as Not-Preferred ( forests, wetlands, and agriculture), while the remaining 8% of New Jersey land was identified as Indeterminate. It is important to note that this solar siting analysis Update (2017), and associated GIS mapping application, are meant to be utilized as screening tools to evaluate land for siting solar PV; they are not meant to indicate whether a proposed solar project would be allowed or not.

6 Potential solar PV projects should be evaluated and assessed on a site by site basis. Lastly, this document will be updated periodically to account for land use changes over time as well as developments and breakthroughs in solar technology and solar markets. iii Table of Contents Introduction .. 1 Section I. Context .. 2 Section II. solar Technologies .. 3 Section III. Environmental Impacts of siting solar PV Systems .. 6 Section IV. solar in New Jersey .. 8 Section V. Analytical 13 Section VI. Results & Discussion .. 15 Section VII. Potential Future Analyses.

7 18 Appendix A - solar Related Legislation and Policy Documents .. 19 Appendix B - Land Use Land Cover Anderson Codes (2012) .. 20 Appendix C - analysis Results for Each Anderson 21 Appendix D - solar , Utility, Land Use, and Land Cover Glossary .. 23 Appendix E - Endnotes / References .. 25 1 Introduction The purpose of this analysis is to aid the New Jersey Department of Environmental protection (NJDEP or the Department ), local communities and potential solar developers in planning for solar installations by distinguishing between lands where the Department encourages solar development from those where the Department discourages solar development.

8 While solar energy projects provide Environmental benefits, Environmental damage can occur if projects are not properly sited, more than negating their benefits. This analysis was performed to identify preferred development sites where solar projects are most environmentally desirable. This document is intended to be used as guidance and should not be used to automatically disqualify potential solar energy projects prior to proper review. 2 Section I. Context What is solar Power and Why Does it Matter Where it is Installed? solar power is obtained by capturing energy from the sun's rays using specially designed panels to convert that light into useable electricity.

9 While solar energy is abundant, omnipresent, and free , care must be taken to ensure that harnessing this source of power does not cause unintended consequences and ecosystem harm. solar installations, whether on rooftops or on the ground, and whether in urban or rural areas, must be economical. The financial firm Lazard conducted an analysis on the levelized cost of energy and found that, without accounting for the subsidies, solar energy is among the lowest cost for any power, second only to While the primary driver of decision-making in energy generation has been economics, other factors may also play a role.

10 For example, forward looking states and localities are looking to improve their resilience in the face of potential natural and man-made hazards such as hurricanes and terrorist attacks by utilizing a diverse energy mix consisting of a wide variety of energy sources. Incorporating many unique sources of energy with varied strengths and weaknesses in resisting disruptions allows for a more robust energy system, and thus a more sustainable and potentially equitable economy. From an Environmental standpoint, siting energy generation facilities, whether large natural gas power plants, or smaller solar installations, can cause some Environmental degradation if not planned for properly.