Tetra Tech is assisting a confidential client with plans to develop electricity derived from a number of renewable sources for direct use and surplus sale to the grid at its many facilities around the southwestern United States. Tetra Tech has completed a Due Diligence Report and Technical Assessment (Assessment) for the co-location of a large renewable energy power generation facility, together with a planned major facility development.

The client’s overall objective is to mitigate the impact of the new facility’s power requirements on the transmission grid and reduce the overall carbon footprint. Potential renewable energy generation considered included solar (photo-voltaic and concentrated solar power), wind, and geothermal. The facility locations considered were within the southwestern region of the U.S. Based on the client’s requirements and through discussion with several states, five potential sites in five states, ranging in size from 15,000 to 100,000+ acres, were evaluated for the proposed development and renewable energy resource potential.

Based on a two-tiered approach, the Assessment consisted of reconnaissance-level site screening, followed by a rapid fatal flaw analysis.

The objectives were to:

(1) Conduct a high level site-specific evaluation of the three renewable energy resources using relatively simple indicators.

(2) Conduct a reconnaissance-level fatal flaw analysis of the preferred alternatives.

Based on the relative ranking of the alternatives considered, a preferred renewable energy resource was chosen for each of the five specific sites. The final report included preliminary issues and recommendations related to each of the site’s feasibility and constraints (based on environmental, engineering, and regulatory settings), data gaps and limitations, and environmental regulatory compliance. After review of the information and preliminary findings, Tetra Tech provided next step recommendations to the client.

PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS

• The client needed a company with Solar, Wind and Geothermal expertise. Tetra Tech was able to provide staff with comprehensive experience in all areas.
• Five sites in five different states – ranging in size from 15,000 to 100,000+ acres – were evaluated for potential renewable energy sources. All five evaluations were completed within four weeks.
• While conducting the assessments, all current technologies were taken into consideration, while at the same time, allowing for potential developments in future technologies.