Natural Resource Mapping Tools: Recommendations and Considerations

This ACP resource provides critical guidance on using landscape-scale mapping tools for clean energy project siting. While these tools offer valuable preliminary insights for developers, this report highlights how proper application is essential to avoid counterproductive outcomes and unnecessary barriers to development. By integrating mapping with on-the-ground assessments and considering crucial factors like transmission availability, developers can make more informed decisions that advance clean energy goals while addressing environmental considerations.

Key Takeaways:

• Maps Inform, Not Decide: Landscape-scale mapping tools provide valuable guidance for site selection but should complement rather than replace expert input and field assessments.
• Data Quality Matters: Understanding the limitations of mapping data, which can be coarse or outdated, helps prevent misleading conclusions that create unnecessary development barriers.
• Validation Is Essential: Effective site selection requires real-world validation and consideration of critical factors like transmission access, willing landowners, and community support.
• Flexibility Is Key: Landscape-level mapping is inherently coarse and must be applied with flexibility to account for on-site conditions and practical development needs.

Download the full report to discover best practices for integrating mapping tools into your clean energy development process.