Environmental Summit on the West II
Recommendations from Breakout Groups

Overall Themes Multi-pollutant Legislation for Electric Utilities Coalbed Methane Permitting Interstate Transmission Siting of Energy Infrastructure Renewable Energy Species Conservation Meeting Growing and Competing Demands for Water Land Conservation Industrial Environmental Innovations Wildland Fires

Overall Themes 

•      Implementation of the Enlibra Principles is moving ahead on many diverse fronts – the activities are exciting and innovative.

•      Effective application takes bipartisan leadership and commitment from all stakeholder sectors and levels of government and a lot of hard work and resources (time, people and money).

•      Non-governmental stakeholders should drive the use of Enlibra when effective partnerships can be created.

•      Important for leadership to assist in determining “whose process is it” and the appropriate level of scale for the application of the principles.

•      Stakeholders and leaders need to work to ensure the broadest possible participation.

•      Others…to be determined at Policy Roundtable 

MULTI-POLLUTANT LEGISLATION
FOR ELECTRIC UTILITIES

•      Continue to work on issues through a western, stakeholder process to achieve consensus

•      Engage with Administration and Congress to ensure western issues are addressed in legislation

•      Key issues for western interests:

–  Need details on proposed regulatory changes (NSR, etc.)

–  Agree on option to preserve WRAP’s SO2 program

–  Determine appropriate NOx program for the West

–  Ensure fair allocations for western states and tribes; address new sources and credit for early reductions

–  Address needs of non-utility sources

COALBED METHANE

Key Messages: 

• CBM situation is polarized, but participants are optimistic that collaborative processes can work. 

• Collaboration must be streamlined, power balanced, time dilemmas understood, long and short term goals prioritized. 

• Private/surface owner relationships are an issue for all parties. 

• Best practices are out there, but inconsistently applied. 

• More information and data sharing.

•  

Collaboration 

BMP workshops convened by WGA (WRAP-type model)
- Surface owner relations
- Operational practices 
- Surface stewardship 
- Specifics on geographic areas 
- Split estate issues 
- Enforcement issues

Standards 
- Enforce and update existing laws 
- Innovative enforcement (self-certification) 
- Adequate inspections 
- Appropriate actions

Rewards
- Surface property rights 
- Emphasize positive outcomes, success stories 
- Positive incentives

Science, process 
- Central database, technology transfer 
- Objective dependable research and baseline information 
- Produced water management

Permitting Interstate Transmission

•      Collaborative draft protocol will work. 

–    BLM/FS ready to participate (except “need”).  Protect confidentiality, reassess deadlines, and avoid delays.

–    DOD, EPA, FERC, USFWS, DOE should consider

–    Include mechanism for public in project teams

–    Include line upgrades and line maintenance

–    Digitize, standardize and publish information 

•      Need regional planning process that precedes protocol’s project-by-project review process:

–    Determine “need” (including generation location)

–    Clarify who should pay for new transmission

–    Recognize constraints from existing infrastructure and processes (e.g., existing corridors) 

•      Protocol and planning process should provide predictability and certainty.

Siting of Energy Infrastructure

•      Coordination and Collaboration between state and federal agencies

–   Governors must exercise more leadership in getting state agencies to coordinate

•      Standardize deadlines and sequenced review – infuse a culture of getting the job done. Reward results

•      An effective process must include all types–generation, pipelines, transmission, construction, maintenance

•      Use funding from applicants to support analyses. Good analyses promote good decisions

•      Develop North American Energy Strategy that includes opportunities between all three countries

•      Perform a consolidated environmental review so all agencies are working from the same document. Environmental understanding is crucial.

Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy Credits -- FINDINGS

•      RECs are flexible “tools” that improve the efficiency of market transactions.

•      RECs should be used in conjunction with other strategies.

•      RECs need clear definitions and credible registry.

•    Facilitates transactions.

•    Maintain confidence in the REC.

•      RECs enhance the effectiveness of public policies to increase demand renewable energy.

Renewable Energy Credits -- RECOMMENDATIONS

Western Governors should:

–  Consult with Tribal governments.

–  Recognize western interconnect as appropriate geography for registry.

–  Support development of regional generation tracking system.

–  Endorse a single REC accrediting body.

 Renewables on Federal Lands

Need better scientific resource assessment and reduce time in leasing and permitting.

Recommendations:

•     “Zoning” of areas for renewable development

•     Programmatic EIS to address generic issues

•     Adequate agency resources and more information supplied by applicants

•     BIA/BLM collaboration

•     National policy on BLM/FS wind leasing

•     Collaborative multi-interest task force on permitting policies

•     Timelines for agency action

•     Point agency/point persons 

•      Open military lands for geothermal development

•      Seek opportunities for agencies to purchase/use renewables

•      Information clearinghouse among NGOs

•      Market incentives

–   Expand production tax credit

–   Consider state/regional Renewable Portfolio Standards

–   Exemption PVs from sales tax

Species Conservation

1) Governors support of collaborative processes is critical to create the climate for success

2) Funding is needed for collaborative planning, studies, and implementation

3) Significant action soon is essential – need to be proactive in addressing species issues

4) Need to ensure results/implementation of collaborative processes - and that they are not derailed at the last minute

5) Make room for experimental actions – eg provide “Pilot authority”

6) Need for shared responsibility – costs and decision making

7) Need to use adaptive management principles, including sound science

8) Governors need to encourage relevant local, state, & federal agencies to be “players” in collaborative efforts, and to make sure of appropriate financing.

9) Multiple species conservation plans should be encouraged

10) Accommodate local solutions in federal and state decisions

11) Build on “Safe Harbor” provisions - Section 10 Permitting Interstate Transmission

Meeting Growing and Competing Demands for Water

•      Link watershed planning with local entities

•      Fund watershed initiatives

•      Redirect funding to on-the-ground projects

•      Support Indian water right settlements

•      Two Indian water right settlements per Congress

•      Enact National Drought Preparedness Act

•      Collaborative science investigations

•      Early implementation and adaptive management

Land Conservation

Lessons learned

•       Partnerships work.

•       Funding is necessary for success.

•       Creative approaches are critical.

Recommendations

•       Reward and support ($) community level partnerships.

•       Use coalitions (like WGA) to support land conservation legislation (e.g. Forest Legacy, Farm Bill).

•       Use land trades, pooling agreements, land purchases and land sales

•       Fund conservation easements, land acquisition, including operating costs.

•       Fund statewide measures including public funding.

•       Pass state tax credits.

•       Find better ways to value aesthetics, environmental benefits, etc.

•       Explore conditional or short-term conservation easements.

•       Continue to expand tool box. 

Land Conservation Decision Support Systems: 

•      Use the technology in land use planning for private and public lands.

•      Secure funding for comprehensive baseline data and acquire it.

•      Use DSS in budgeting for land conservation.

•      Provide access to tools and training for rural America.

•      Incorporate community values in DSS (e.g. scenic values, community/cultural heritage, working landscapes, recreating).

•      Include local expertise in DSS tools.

•      Create incentives to include science in planning.

Industrial Environmental Innovations: Value for Community, Global and Bottom Line Strategies for Industrial Production

• Provide incentives to encourage innovation at all levels of government 
• Create flexibility and allow creativity with accountability in regulatory programs to allow for innovation 
• Encourage the use of innovative technologies and processes that turn waste into product
• Provide a forum for information sharing between stakeholders on lessons learned in collaborative processes (WGA) 
• Support collaboration across state lines on innovative environmental technologies (WGA)

Wildland Fires

Lessons learned

•       Collaboration is key—arises from need or crisis

•       Start small, in zone of agreement, to build trust.  It takes time.

•       Incentives are necessary

•       Leadership helps get parties to the table

•       Apply good science

•       Coordinate at community level between supply, investment and capacity

•       Align with community culture and context – identify needs and capacities.

•       To date, projects usually require incentives, subsidies and investments

Recommendation

We want to send a clear message to decision-makers that we want to use collaborative, place-based processes and retain the opportunity to both reduce wildland/urban interface hazards and restore fire-prone forest ecosystems.  We don’t want to lose capacity to make prudent, rational decisions at the local level.