Draft Protected Areas Exclusion (Solar) for 2026-2027 IRP

This is a draft update to the Protected Area Layer (PAL) for solar resources for the current 2026-2027 IRP cycle. The protected area layer is a composite GIS layer designed to encompass areas where utility-scale renewable energy or transmission development is precluded by state or federal law, policy, or regulation. It draws from several protected areas datasets, including local, state, or federal land that is designated for conservation. The PAL extends outside of California into southern Nevada and western Arizona. The PAL is combined with the techno-economic exclusion layer to form the base exclusions in the CPUC Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) process.