UPDATED SCOPE OF WORK
FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA TASK FORCE
Phase 2: July 2011 – September 2013
Draft for Review by SPSG
CONTEXT
The Scenario Planning Steering Group (SPSG) formed the Environmental Data Task Force
(EDTF) in June 2010 to develop recommendations on the type, quality, and sources of data on
land, wildlife, cultural, historical, archaeological, and water resources1 (in coordination with work
conducted via the State-Provincial Steering Committee), exploring ways to transform that data
into a form usable in WECC’s study cases and planning models. The EDTF, as a task force
designated by the SPSG, provides recommendations to the SPSG for the SPSG’s review and
consideration. Please refer to the original EDTF Scope of Work (SOW) for details on its original
scope.
This updated SOW retains the original goals and concepts from the original SOW but
includes a revised list of future tasks to reflect the work conducted by the EDTF through
June 2011 and the future activities identified in the EDTF’s May 2011 Environmental
Recommendations for Transmission Planning. All tasks and activities conducted by the
EDTF will continue to be provided to the SPSG as recommendations for SPSG review,
modification, and potential approval.
On May 6, 2011, the EDTF delivered the document entitled “Environmental Recommendations
for Transmission Planning” as its final report on the initial phase of its work. The process of
developing the report, and the report itself, addressed all the initial SOW short-term tasks with
the exception of developing “environmental and other resource screening methodology for the
20-Year Regional Transmission Target Plan.” That activity will be conducted as part of
implementing the five recommendations for future work identified in the Recommendations
Report.
The EDTF will continue to pursue the same goals identified in the original SOW, including:
1.) Develop recommendations for a methodology to incorporate information on land, wildlife,
cultural, historical, archaeological, and water resources (in coordination with work
conducted via the State-Provincial Steering Committee) into the transmission planning
process (scenario development, transmission study planning and development of 10Year Regional Transmission Plans and the 20-Year Regional Transmission Target
Plans); and
For the purposes of this Scope of Work and the EDTF’s activities more broadly, this set of resources is
referred to as “environmental and cultural resources.”
1
EDTF Scope of Work—2011
2.) Use information about environmental and cultural resources to compare performance of
regional transmission planning options to facilitate planning and decision making.
SCOPE OF WORK
Based on “Environmental Recommendations for Transmission Planning,” the EDTF is tasked
with the following responsibilities:
1.) With assistance from a broad set of stakeholders, identify a catalog of existing spatially
explicit (GIS) environmental and cultural data sets for the purpose of planning and
evaluating potential transmission alternatives. Develop a process for ensuring that the
catalog is managed and updated as appropriate. Incorporate the data into the WECC
long term planning tools (LTPT); an EDTF-LTPT Interface Subgroup will guide and
review this incorporation.
2.) With assistance from a broad set of stakeholders, identify and recommend
improvements to an environmental and cultural resource risk classification system to
guide planning and evaluation of potential transmission alternatives.
3.) Recommend amendments to the TEPPC Planning Protocol to incorporate environmental
and cultural considerations into WECC’s transmission planning process.
4.) Augment the existing Regional Transmission Expansion Planning (RTEP) stakeholder
engagement activities, to improve the integration of environmental and cultural
information into regional transmission planning.
5.) Work with technical contractors to explore existing data on the public economic values of
environmentaland cultural resources and services for use in the long-term planning tool.
TASK LIST
In order to fulfill the responsibilities identified in the previous section, the EDTF may engage in
the following additional activities. This list is not intended to be comprehensive and the EDTF
may pursue other activities that are within the scope defined in the previous section.

Develop a methodology for conducting a planning-level environmental and cultural risk
comparison of future transmission alternatives identified in the WECC RTEP process.

Explore existing data on the economic values of environmental/cultural resources and
services for use in the long term planning tool.

Develop a methodology to incorporate environmental and cultural data into 20-year
model runs, ensuring continual, effective integration with WECC and TEPPC activities.

Prepare recommendations for the 2013 version of the 10-Year Regional Transmission
Plan and the 2013 20-Year Regional Transmission Target Plan.

Explore available data related to climate change and determine whether and how to
apply it to the regional transmission planning process.
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EDTF Scope of Work—2011
OUT OF SCOPE ACTIVITIES
The following activities are outside of the scope of work for the EDTF:

Creating new environmental and cultural data sets or maintaining these original data
sets;

Recommending specific transmission projects among alternatives based on
environmental or cultural resource sensitivities and constraints; and

Comparing environmental and cultural risks of transmission alternatives identified in the
2011 WECC 10-Year Regional Transmission Plan.
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