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4 Environmental Analysis 4.2 Agriculture and Forestry Resources As stated in the Petition for Cancellation and described in more detail in the subsections below, development of the proposed battery energy storage facility is in the public interest because of the pressing need to address greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions and climate change by improving and transforming the energy system. While the Project would not directly generate renewable energy, the Project would provide increased grid reliability that is necessary to facilitate renewable energy use. This public benefit allows the County to consider canceling a site's Williamson Act tax status. Layering energy storage systems into the energy grid improves grid reliability and makes it more resilient to disturbances and peaks in energy demand. Additionally, the land in question is not Prime Farmland. The proposed Project would help the State of California achieve its goal of providing 100 percent GHG emissions—free electricity by 2045. Implementation of the Project would not attract additional non-agricultural development to adjacent land (i.e., the battery energy storage facility would not induce residential or commercial growth in the area). In addition, the Project will be located in proximity to the Tesla Substation and there is no proximate non- contracted land that is both available and as suitable for the development of a battery energy storage facility that would provide for a more contiguous pattern of urban development. The Public Interest and Compatibility with Surrounding Agriculture The Project would not significantly compromise the long-term agricultural capability of the Project site or other contracted lands in agricultural preserves. The Project involves leasing the land, not buying it. It is considered a possibility that the battery energy storage facility could eventually be removed, and the land returned to farming. Therefore, it is possible that the Project site owners could return the site to full agricultural use when the lease is ended. Operation of the Project would not affect the uses of adjacent properties under Williamson Act land use contracts. The Project would not result in indirect impacts that could occur with the conversion of the site from agricultural uses to non-agricultural uses. This type of impact is mainly due to compatibility issues with the adjacent agricultural land still in production. These types of compatibility issues may include nuisance effects to a site from noise, dust, odors, and drift of agricultural chemicals. Incompatible uses could impact the adjacent agriculture uses due to restrictions on the use of agricultural chemicals, complaints regarding noise and dust, and vandalism and pilfering of crops. These conflicts could potentially result in increased costs to the agricultural operation and encourage conversion of additional agricultural lands to urban uses. The Project would not result in this type of indirect impact; O&M activities associated with battery energy storage facilities are minimal. Operation of the Project would not result in an increase in employment that would require the construction of new housing. The Project would be compatible with the surrounding agricultural uses and is not expected to affect the agricultural use of the adjacent parcels. The percentage of land proposed for this cancellation represents a tiny percentage of the remaining acreage under Williamson Act contracts in California and does not present a threat to the short-term or long-term agricultural production in California. The total acreage of contracted Williamson Act land in California was approximately 10 million acres in 2021 (DOC 2022c). As of 2021, approximately 2,985,970 acres of agricultural land was under some form of Williamson Act contract with the San Joaquin Valley Region (DOC 2022c). The San Joaquin County portion of the Project site, the portion included in a Williamson Act contract, only represents approximately 0.000035 percent of the contracted area in the San Joaquin Valley Region. Griffith Battery Energy Storage Project 4.2-11 Tetra Tech/SCH 2022120675 Draft Environmental Impact Report August 2023