The BIOS Renewable Energy Viewer is a component of the California Department of Fish and Game's Biogeographic Information and Observation System (BIOS), an interactive mapping program that allows users to visualize the spatial distribution of biological data generated by the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and partner organizations. The Renewable Energy Viewer displays data layers and information for the Mojave and Colorado Desert regions of California, including the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) planning boundary, energy corridors, existing and proposed renewable energy projects, renewable energy potential, and protected areas and species habitat.

Background:
In November 2008, California's Governor Schwarzenegger issued Executive Order S-14-08, which raised the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) from 20% to 33%. This means that California residents will need to obtain 33% of their energy from renewable sources by the year 2020. In response to this Executive Order, the Renewable Energy Action Team (REAT) was created as a division of the California DFG and the California Energy Commission to create a streamlined process for permitting of renewable energy projects in California. The REAT also works with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to coordinate renewable energy permitting and to reduce impacts from renewable energy projects on federally-owned lands in California. One of the products of these efforts is the DRECP, a plan for the streamlined permitting and environmental review of proposed high-priority projects in the Mojave and Colorado Desert regions. The BIOS Renewable Energy viewer provides data and information in an interactive mapping application in support of the DRECP.