OCT 0 5 2010

VUl'-' ;; Ul Ul ;; VUVI:111U1 Ul Llll: .::lll:LU.; Ul L-alllOfniaOffice of the Bovernornttp:/ /gov.ca.gov/mdex.php'! /print-version/press-release/16087IARNO OSCHWARZENEGGERTHE F'EOP E"S GOVERNORPRESS RELEASE09/29/20 I 0 GAAS:62I: I 0 FOR IMMEDIA1E RELEASEGov. Schwarzenegger Applauds CEC Approval of Nearly 1,000 MW of SolarPowerAction Reinforces California as National Solar Development LeaderGovernor Arnold Schwarzenegger today applauded the California Energy Commission (CEC) vote to approve theconstruction of the Genesis Solar Energy Project and the Imperial Valley Solar Project, which will create 959megawatts (MW) of clean, renewable energy and thousands ofjobs in Southern California With the CEC'sapprovals today, California has approved six large-scale solar energy projects in the California desert totaling 2,829MW."Today's action solidly cements California as the national leader of solar power development," said GovernorSchwarzenegger. "I applaud the California Energy Commission's decision to approve the construction of these solarprojects that will increase our state's renewable power, create jobs and boost our economy. I look forward to seeingthese projects fully built and powering thousands of California homes with clean electricity."The two projects would be among the first commercial solar thermal power plants permitted on federal public landin the U.S. They still require a decision from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which approves the use offederal public lands, before it can proceed. The BLM's actions are scheduled soon. Under the state's groundbreakingagreement with the U.S. Department of the Interior, the CEC has been working collaboratively with BLM to getprojects through both state and federal land use permitting processes by the end of this year without cutting comers.The Genesis project in Riverside County will require a peak construction workforce of 1,085, with another 50operational jobs once built. The Imperial Valley project in Imperial County will require a peak constructionworkforce of731, with another I64 operational jobs once built.The 250-MW Genesis project and the 709-MW Imperial Valley project are the fifth and sixth large solar projectsapproved by the CEC over the past month. In August, the Commission approved NextEra's 250-MW Beaconproject-the first large solar project to be approved in the U.S. in two decades. Earlier this month, the CEC alsoapproved BrightSource Energy's 370-MW Ivanpah project, Abengoa's 250-MW Mojave Solar Project and the1,000-MW Blythe Solar Power Project. For more information on the projects, visit the CEC website atwww.energy.cagov.These projects are part of a group of nine solar thermal projects scheduled to go before the commission for decisionsby the end of the year in order to quality for federal stimulus dollars. More than 4,300 MW of solar power will beadded if all nine projects are approved. The nine projects would provide more than 8,000 construction jobs and morethan 1,000 operational jobs.In addition to the solar thermal projects the CEC is permitting, there are more than a dozen other large solarphotovoltaic and wind projects seeking permits to break ground in California this year. In contrast to this year, 67MW of central-station utility scale solar were added in 2009 nationwide, and only 34 MW in 2008.Governor Schwarzenegger has a strong and proven commitment to expanding California's clean energy that willof210/l/20IO 12:57 PM

Office ofthe Governor ofthe State of Californiahttp:/I gov .ca.gov/index.php?/print-version/press-release/ 16087Icreate jobs, influence nationai policies and provide a cleaner environment for future generations. In October of2009, the Governor and Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar signed a historic MOU so that the state and federalgovernment could work together to ensure timely permitting of renewable energy projects. In March, the Governorsigned into law a new program to make it easier to conserve land for endangered species and for developers to buildrenewable energy projects in California. The program, created by SB X8 34, by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima),will help further streamline and expedite the permitting and siting process for large-scale renewable energy projectsthat will provide jobs and greater energy independence and attract investment. Other actions to promote clean,renewable energy in California include: Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS): In 2009, the Governor signed an Executive Order directing theCalifornia Air Resources Board (ARB) to adopt regulations increasing the state's RPS to 33 percent by2020.The ARB adopted regulations earlier this month that place the highest priority on renewable resources thatwill provide the greatest environmental benefits that can be developed quickly and support reliable, efficientand cost-effective electricity system operations including resources and facilities located in California andthroughout the Western Interconnection. Global Warming Solutions Act of2006 (AB 32): Signed by the Governor in 2006, AB 32 established a firstin-the-world comprehensive program of regulatory and market mechanisms to achieve real, quantifiable,cost-effective reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. The law will reduce carbon emissions in California to1990 levels by 2020. Green Tech Sales Tax Exemption: Governor Schwarzenegger·signed SB 71 by Senator Alex Padilla(D-Pacoima) in 2010 exempting all clean technology manufacturing equipment from sales tax, allowingCalifornia to maintain a competitive edge by expanding the range of projects. This targeted sales taxexemption does not cost the state tax dollars and increases revenue by expanding the number of cleantechnology manufacturing companies with sites in California. Million Solar Roofs Initiative: The Governor's 2.9 billion incentive plan for home and building owners whoinstall solar electric systems, now known as the California Solar Initiative, will lead to .one million solarroofs in California by the year 2018, provide 3,000 megawatts of clean energy and reduce greenhouse gasemissions by 3 million tons.:of210/112010 12:57 PM

uup.tt vv vv vv .U Q.lUUay .l;UlHilllUUCY/lllUU:Smt::stcncrgytenviromnentJL.U 1U-U':J-L':J-SOlarpowerL.-Major solar projectsmake progress inCaliforniaPage 1 ot 2California, the nation's largest solar producer, hasample sunshine and big renewable-energy goals.Last week, state regulators passed rules requiringthat one-third of electricity sold in California comefrom renewable sources by 2020.California's push for solar is also being driven by afederal deadline for stimulus funds. Projects mustbe underway by Dec. 31 to get federal cash grantsin lieu of tax credits equal to 30% of the projects'costs.Updated 12h 50m agoBy Julie Schmit, USA TODAYLate last year, California and federal regulatorsagreed to expedite projects that were on track tomeet the stimulus deadline. The federal Bureau ofLand Management has fast-tracked the largeCalifornia projects, four large solar projects inNevada and one in Arizona."We've made significant progress without cuttingcorners" on environmental protections, says MichaelPicker, renewable-energy adviser to California Gov.Arnold Schwarzenegger.By Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAYCalifornia is home to many solar proJects, including theNextEra Harper Lake Solar Electric GeneratingSystem. The state has set a goal of getting 33% of itsenergy from renewable sources by 2020.California is on track to approve a wave of solarfarms this year that will more than double the state'sability to generate electricity from solar p,ower.By year's end, California's energy commission isexpected to rule on nine solar farms that couldproduce 4,300 megawatts of power. One megawattproduces enough electricity for 225 Californiahomes, the industry estimates. Some projects alsoneed federal approval because they are on federalland.Along with the solar thermal farms, California hasmore than a dozen large solar photovoltaic andwind projects trying to meet the stimulus deadline.Environmentalists, who are largely supportive ofSince August, four major solar projects- includingone on 7,000-plus acres billed as the world'slargest- have won state approval. The CaliforniaEnergy Commission is expected to OK two more thisweek. The solar farms, which concentrate the sun'spower on mirrors to produce heat used to generateelectricity, could eventually produce enoughelectricity to power 675,000 homes.We focus onautomatingMarriott Hotels'global Invoiceprocess. So theydon't hove to.No other state is moving as aggressively asCalifornia to add solar. Its embrace of big-scale solar may inspire other states, boosters say. ''Theseare the first projects of this size in the U.S.," saysRhone Resch, CEO of the Solar Energy IndustriesAssociation. "They're a sign to the rest of thecountry that solar is here, not a technology of thefuture."learn more atReatBusiness.comH Udj'h1 !! YPrint Powered 2(fllf r.r:!:.9.!9.Y mi9§.'J10/1/2010

vironment/2010-09-29-solarpower2. Page '2 ot '2solar, sought changes to some thermal farms tolessen damage to wildlife and plants.Future farms should be more carefully sited onalready degraded land and less on desertwilderness, says Kimberley Delfino, a programdirector for Defenders of Wildlife. .10DA.YAutoPilot -· ·--,.,,app for iPhone6)and iPod 7965210/1/2010

THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIORWASHINGTONOCT 0 5 2010The Honorable Arnold SchwarzeneggerGovernor of CaliforniaSacramento, California 95814Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:Thank you for your letter to President Obama dated August 26, 201 0, concerning four plannedsolar energy projects under consideration in California. We share the common goal ofdeveloping renewable energy, both on the Nation's public lands and elsewhere. I admire andapplaud your leadership in this very important arena. Thanks in large measure to your leadershipthe State of California and the United States Department ofthe Interior have forged an effectivepartnership and a productive working relationship. I appreciate that our staffs were able todiscuss this matter in California on September 16, 2010.California is blessed with an extraordinary diversity offish, wildlife and plants, some ofwhichare in peril of extinction. The President's and my commitment to expanding the nation's supplyof renewable energy is accompanied by an equa11y clear commitment to doing so in a way thatfulfi11s our duty to conserve wildlife and other environmental values.You and I both recognized that careful scrutiny of such projects would be needed when weentered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2009 and included in that MOU a set of"permitting milestones". The permitting milestones specified certain dates by which specificactions must happen if projects were to commence construction by December 2010, therebyqualifying for Treasury grants under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Inthese milestones, the Service committed to completing in a timely manner the environmentalreviews necessary for projects on private lands. Under those milestones, relevant dates forsubmitting the documentation needed to evaluate endangered species impacts were eitherOctober 16, 2009, or February 19, 201 0, depending on the nature of the review to be carried out.For at least three of these projects, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service advised the projectproponents early on that their projects were proposed for areas rich in endangered species andthat had long been identified for their conservation importance in the Service's recovery plan forendangered species in the San Joaquin Va11ey. However, the timeline included in the MOU,mutually-agreed to by State and Federal permitting agencies, and developed with the intent toprovide a clear and efficient timeline to developers on private lands to move through the section1O(a)(l )(B) of the Endangered Species Act (section 10) process, was not honored by theapplicants for any of the four projects mentioned in your letter.

In response to your letter, the Service and my energy counselor met with the four projectproponents, your senior advisors on energy, and the Department ofFish and Game, which alsohas a permitting role to play, and have developed a path forward. Two of the projectsdevelopers-First Solar and SunPower-have indicated that the Department of Energy will bethe NEPA lead and will therefore initiate the necessary consultation with the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Service stands ready tocomplete those consultations in a timely manner. Maricopa Sun, LLC is preparing a habitatconservation plan for the Granville Homes project and will be seeking a permit from the Servicepursuant to Section 10 of the ESA. The Service and Maricopa are working to develop a mutuallyagreeable schedule.Compliance with the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) is also a necessary componentto ensuring that timely permitting decisions are made. The Service and DFG are working withthe project proponents to make sure this critical piece is accounted for in the schedule. Further,subject to available appropriations, the Service expects to be able to honor the permittingmilestones for future projects that may pursue Section I 0 approvals of habitat conservationplans, provided project proponents meet their obligations set forth in that document.My team appreciated the opportunity to walk through this plan of action with you immediatelyfollowing a meeting with the four project developers on September 16, 201 0. The Service willcontinue to provide you and your staff with updates on the progress the Service and DFG aremaking.Our experience since entering into the MOU last year has underscored the desirability of theService and the State working together to identify and prioritize areas appropriate forenvironmentally sound renewable energy development and areas less suitable for suchdevelopment. Our foundational work on the Desert Renewable Energy and Conservation Planfor the Mojave is an example. This approach would most likely reflect a balance of appropriatelocations for renewable energy on our public and private lands, both of which we anticipate willplay an important role in our Nation's clean energy future. I would welcome your support forsuch an approach and would suggest that we convene a meeting to perfect this approach in thenear future. Ken Salazar

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NCCPInterimProject ReviewProcessConservation StrategyStructure and MetltoclsConservation Gap AnalysisSpecies modelsHabitat distributionProtectedAreas JConservation gaps,Impact Analytil1tCovered a tlvltyfootpr-me : lsm\.,1.,. - t- -·Impact estimates(qualitative and quantltallve) Goau and ObjectlvaaI Sptclts IVHds} BlologicllH lbirotiVtedlEcosyslt/11 NtedsGoalsandObjectives\, "onserva ron anImplementationStrategies(August2011)(October 201 1)J.·-·}D ft Alt.C raet!natrvedSelect PreferredConservation StrategyDRECPPlinningGoals!1-1! Planning Process Inputs Conservation action hierarchy andcoding Reserve design methods Modeling and analysisExpand and RefineConservation Strategy(December 2011) / NCCP interim project review process NCCP interim conservationPlan structure for state and federalagenciesBest Management Practices andConditions on Covered Activities(Avoidance/Miaiml.tion Measures) Siting and design criteria. Preconstruct1on survey reqUirements Construction monitoring OperationalcrlteriaExistlna Plans and Prosrams Recovsry plans Approved and In process HCPs/NCCPs Lond mtnlgement plans (West MoJavePlan, NECO, BLM RMPs. COCA plans,INRMPs. etc.) CA entia! Hibltal Conne livity Pr Ject Local Government General Plans Oth r plans' DUDEI

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California Renewable Energy Summary Statistics as of August 2009WindSolarTotal applicationsTotal acres94815,252Approximate MWN/A.71613,61248,081Wind in ProposedMojave NationalMonumentSolar in ProposedMojave NationalMonument7113,75717116,16012,270N/A

Proposed Mojave National MonumentExisting Conservation AreasAcres within MNM123WildernessAreas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC}Overlap of ACEC & WildernessTOTAL Wilderness & ACEC (-overlap)TOTAL Proposed MNM394,519615,96795,480915,0061,651,958

,0 rsSouthwestLLC, c/oenXco0(])OJ(')ru(])(]) iiliilA' a:OJ(')00ruiil0:;: IICACA47702StirlingEnergySystems, Inc.Solar Three; DateIAJ?plicationR.eceived9/15/2009. . o- .'-AI AcresMegawatts(Mw)Project TypeGeographicAreaStatus of Application1,920300Solar: pendingsolar thermalT30S, R 22E,Sec.s 2 ,4, 10Pending RMP completion914Near PisgahSolar: pendingNorth of 1-40 T's.solar thermal8, 9N., R5EAFC & EIS pending with CEC as CEQA lead. Receivedcompleted amended application June 2007. Threeseparate projects. NOI Expected 12/08. Revised PODReceived Oct 6, 2008.151Near PisgahSolar: pending North of 1-40 T's.solar thermal8N., R5E, Sec18Application complete. Requested updated POD Feb 24,20096,400800Solar: pendingsolar thermal(Baker) T. 14N.,R.8E.(Silurian Valley) Application complete. original POD rec. but due to changeT16N,R8Ein technology-PV is needed. New POD :;:CACA48563StirlingEnergySystems, Inc.Pilot siteI 1/15/06'IICACA48741SolarInvestmentsVI LLC (G-S)1;1i18/07CACA48742SolarInvestments,Inc. (G-S)1/18/079,6001,000Solar: pendingsolar thermal!2/26/0714,4001,205Solar: pendingsolar thermal(Opal) T.2N,R9E &R10ERec'd cost recovery funds. w/in 29 Palms segregationarea. Rec'd POD. Review of POD pendingCACA48818OptiSolar,Inc.I!,,'III.\·· · tiSolar,Inc.OPTBroadwellLake LLC(Brightsource)Application complete POD revision rec. 01/09. Issuew/WWcorrdor.2/26/0715,2801,000Solar: pendingsolar thermal(Desert Ruby)T3N, R5 & 6E;T4N, R5ERec'd cost recovery funds. w/in 29 Palms segregationarea. Rec'd POD. Review of POD pending.1/24/075,130500Solar: pendingsolar thermalT'8N and 9N;R7EReceived cost recovery funds.Received POD.I------

9/15/2009Page 2,n;·0 cationI·ReceivedAcresMegawatts(Mw)Project TypeGeographicAreaStatus of nc.5/4/07, .Solar: 051FPL Energy,LLC (BlvdAs Cil0:::()OJru000()OJru000Cil:ECil:E(Jasper)Solar: pending T5N,R1 E & T6N,photovoltaicR1W & T6N,R1W(Amber)Solar: pendingT4N,R3, ergySystems, Inc.Solar OnePhase 2CACA49539StirlingEnergySystems, Inc.Solar OnePhase 1CACA49540StirlingEnergySystems, Inc

Solar Milellennium, Solar I 500 I CEC/BLM LLC Trough 3 I Ridgecrest Solar Power Project BLM 250 CEC/BLM 'C·' ' Solar 250 CEO NextEra I Trough -----Abengoa Solar, Inc. I Solar I 250 I CEC Trough -I, II, IV, VIII BLM lvanpah SEGS Solar I 400 I CECJBLM Towe'r ico Solar (Solar 1) BLM Solar I