Moving Mountains: Equitable Building Decarbonization Planning in the Sierra Nevadas

2024110907

California Energy Commission

NOE - Notice of Exemption

11/25/2024

11/25/2024

LIEN HUYNH

Energy Commission

Grants Analyst

Lead/Public Agency

715 P Street
Sacramento, CA 95816

(916) 246-8252

lien.huynh@energy.ca.gov

10961 Stevens, Lane, Truckee, CA 96161 10969 Stevens Lane, Truckee, CA 96161 10183 Truckee Airport Rd, Truckee, CA 96161

Statutory Exemption

14 CCR 15262

Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14 § 15262 applies projects involving only feasibility and planning studies for possible future actions which the agency, board, or commission has not approved, adopted, or funded does not require the preparation of an environmental document. This project involves community engagement, feasibility plan to decarbonize an existing City facility, design of ZEV charging infrastructure at two existing locations, planning for decarbonization and work force training and will not have a significant impact on the environment. The project will not impact an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern where designated, precisely mapped, and officially adopted pursuant to law by federal, state, or local agencies; do not involve any cumulative impacts of successive projects of the same type in the same place that might be considered significant; do not involve unusual circumstances that might have a significant effect on the environment; will not result in damage to scenic resources within a highway officially designated as a state scenic highway; the project sites are not included on any list compiled pursuant to Government Code section 65962.5; and the projects will not cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource. Therefore, none of the exceptions to categorical exemptions listed in CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2 apply to this project, and these projects will not have a significant effect on the environment.

Categorical Exemption

14 CCR 15301

California Code of Regulations, title 14, section 15301 provides that projects that consist of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, licensing, and minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, and mechanical equipment, involving negligible or no expansion of use, are categorically exempt from the provisions of CEQA. This project involves community engagement. funding studies and energy resilience planning, developing a feasibility plan to decarbonize an existing City facility, design and planning of ZEV charging infrastructure at two existing City-owned locations. The planning for decarbonizing an existing energy intensive facility and for EV charging infrastructure will involve supporting existing public use of those facilities and would be considered a negligible expansion of use. Therefore, the project falls under Section 15301 and will not have a significant impact on the environment. The project will not impact an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern where designated, precisely mapped, and officially adopted pursuant to law by federal, state, or local agencies; do not involve any cumulative impacts of successive projects of the same type in the same place that might be considered significant; do not involve unusual circumstances that might have a significant effect on the environment; will not result in damage to scenic resources within a highway officially designated as a state scenic highway; the project sites are not included on any list compiled pursuant to Government Code section 65962.5; and the projects will not cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource. Therefore, none of the exceptions to categorical exemptions listed in CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2 apply to this project, and these projects will not have a significant effect on the environment.

Categorical Exemption

14 CCR 15306

Per Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 15306 projects consisting of basic data collection, research, and resource evaluation activities which do not result in a serious or major disturbance to an environmental resource. This project involves community engagement, draft funding studies, draft energy resilience plan, feasibility plan to decarbonize an existing City facility, design and planning of ZEV charging infrastructure at two existing City-owned locations and development of cost estimates and an implementation plan. The project also includes feasibility study and recommendations for building decarbonization and local contractor workforce development. The proposed project's engagement, planning activities and workforce development will have no significant effect on the environment and fall within the categorical exemption of section 15306. The project will not impact an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern where designated, precisely mapped, and officially adopted pursuant to law by federal, state, or local agencies; do not involve any cumulative impacts of successive projects of the same type in the same place that might be considered significant; do not involve unusual circumstances that might have a significant effect on the environment; will not result in damage to scenic resources within a highway officially designated as a state scenic highway; the project sites are not included on any list compiled pursuant to Government Code section 65962.5; and the projects will not cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource. Therefore, none of the exceptions to categorical exemptions listed in CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2 apply to this project, and these projects will not have a significant effect on the environment.