45.8

Risk Grade

Good

Eastern Sierra resort county centered on Mammoth Mountain ski area; Owens Valley geography limits flat siting opportunities; scenic corridor protections along Highway 395 add viewshed sensitivity; Owens Valley Paiute tribal cultural resources require consultation; limited grid capacity at end of LADWP transmission lines; tourism-dependent economy cautious about industrial development; B-grade with B-C characteristics from terrain and sensitivity constraints

Assessment Snapshot

Population

14444

State Rank

#20

Compliance

45%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

200 ft from occupied residences; 100 ft from property lines; viewshed analysis required along Highway 395 and near Mammoth Lakes

Zoning Mechanism

Conditional Use Permit (CUP); CEQA review; viewshed analysis required for projects visible from Highway 395 or near Mammoth Mountain ski area; tribal cultural consultation (Paiute) required

Acreage Caps

None specified

Spacing Rules

None specified

Size Restrictions

Projects >500 kW require CUP; viewshed analysis required in scenic corridor overlay

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral-cautious — resort/outdoor recreation economy sensitive to industrial development visibility; Mammoth Lakes community values scenic quality; Owens Valley Paiute tribal interests

Basis for Assessment

County planning records; public hearings; scenic corridor review records

Political Risk Factors

Stable

Board Members

Bob Gardner | R | 2026; John Peters | R | 2028; Fred Stump | R | 2026; Stacy Corless | D | 2028; Rhonda Duggan | R | 2026

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

LADWP (Los Angeles Department of Water and Power) — Owens Valley transmission corridor

Utilities

Southern California Edison (SCE) — Mammoth Lakes area, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) — transmission corridor

State Permitting Process

County zoning + CEQA review required; CEC siting jurisdiction for projects >50 MW on state/federal land; Coastal Commission review for coastal zone; DRECP DFAs streamline desert county permitting

State Incentives

Federal ITC eligible; California Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) for storage; CA Renewables Portfolio Standard procurement; CPUC approved procurement programs

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects

Mammoth Lakes distributed and commercial solar (~1 MW aggregate); Chalfant Valley area small agricultural solar; no confirmed utility-scale ground-mount

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None confirmed

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