It’s a double header at the California Energy Commission (CEC) today.  The Renewable Energy Action Team – comprised of the CEC, the California Department of Fish and Game, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) – is holding two public scoping meetings for the combined environment impact statement/environmental impact report (EIS/EIR) that the REAT is preparing for the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP).  The DRECP will help streamline permitting for renewable energy projects in a 22.5 million acre area of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts, while also preserving certain areas for long-term conservation.  The EIS/EIR will also cover BLM’s proposed amendment of the California Desert Conservation Area Plan.  The REAT is seeking public input on the proposed scope of environmental review for the DRECP, including comments and information on species that should be covered under the DRECP and the range of alternatives the REAT should analyze in the EIS/EIR.  The first scoping meeting will take place today from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and the second meeting will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., both in Hearing Room A at the Energy Commission in Sacramento.  For those who can’t make the scoping meetings, written comments will be accepted until September 12, 2011.  See the CEC Notice of Preparation and FWS’s Notice of Intent for details on public participation.  The REAT also holds regular stakeholder meetings on the DRECP.  Details on development of the DRECP and the REAT’s Best Management Practices and Guidance Manual for Desert Renewable Energy Projects – interim guidance while the DRECP is in the works – are available at drecp.org.