6. Description of Project Alternatives

The EIS evaluated six project alternatives:

· Alternative 1, which is the Desert Sunlight Solar Farm project as proposed by the project proponent, and includes components designated as Solar Farm Layout B, Gen-Tie Line GT-A-1, Red Bluff Substation A and Access Road 2;

· Alternative 2, which is an alternative project configuration that would include Solar Farm Layout B, Gen-Tie Line GT-B-2, and Red Bluff Substation B;

· Alternative 3, which is an alternative configuration that would include Solar Farm Layout C, Gen-Tie Line GT-A-2, Red Bluff Substation A and Access Road 1;

· Alternative 4, which is a no-action alternative under which the project would not be approved;

· Alternative 5, which is a no-project alternative under which the project would not be approved and future large-scale solar energy development would not be allowed; and

· Alternative 6, which is a no-project alternative under which the project would not be approved and future large-scale solar energy development would be allowed.

Alternatives 1, 2 and 3 represent only three of the seven possible combinations of the project components (i.e., Solar Farm Layout, Gen-Tie Line, Red Bluff Substation and Access Road). The Commission's Energy Division therefore also considered the remaining four combinations, by analyzing and comparing the following component alternatives; this analysis is contained in Appendix C to the EIS:

· Red Bluff Substation:

o Substation A (eastern) and Access Road 1,

o Substation A (eastern) and Access Road 2, and

o Substation B (western).

· Gen-Tie Line:

o GT-A-1 (Kaiser Road to Desert Center, then east -- 12.2 miles),

o GT-A-2 (SCE right of way to Substation A -- 9.5 miles), and

o GT-B-2 (Kaiser Road to Desert Center, then west - 10 miles).

· Solar Farm Layout:

o Layout B (3912 acres)

o Layout C (3045 acres)