Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Moapa Southern Paiute Solar Project Update

Construction well underway with about 60% of project
complete
Commercial Operations beginning by the end of 2016

Aiya Solar
Project

Currently employ over 350 construction workers,

including 115 Tribal members and
Native Americans
About 90% local hires

Project has created 1,276,301 work hours

Reid Gardner
Power Plant

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Training provided to Tribal members to support

qualified tribal hiring

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Required Impact Minimization and Mitigation Measures

Worker Environmental Awareness Program (WEAP) training continues to be provided to
all personnel prior to performing any work

Monitoring of desert tortoise in recipient and control site continues to be performed

Reports continue to be submitted to USFWS as required

Compensatory mitigation has been paid to the Tribe and BLM in accordance with the
Biological Opinion (BO) prior to start of construction

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Coordination with USFWS is ongoing to ensure protection of the desert tortoise

Translocation Spring 2013

Translocation was done by previous project owner, K Road, in Spring of 2013 prior to project
acquisition by First Solar

A total of 156 desert tortoise were located on site (107 adults and 49 juveniles)
Of that total, 65 tortoises were translocated. Health assessments were performed, radio
transmitters were attached and they were moved to recipient site

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Other tortoises were within limits to move outside of the Project boundary

Additional Tortoises Within the Site

A total of 13 additional tortoises, 7 adults and 6 juveniles, have been found since the
original translocation
2014
4 desert tortoise were found on site
2 Adults
2 Juvenile

2015
4 desert tortoises have been found within the original fence line

1 adult

3 juveniles (one desert tortoise currently in the pen awaiting translocation in spring 2016)

5 desert tortoises were relocated from an area where fence line was expanded on May 25, 2015

4 adults

1 juvenile

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9 desert tortoise were found on site

Current Desert Tortoise Take Compared to Established Take Limits

Subadults & Adults

Take Limit - 3
Actual 1
(Summer 2013)

Hatchlings & Juvenile

Actual - 0

Death or Injury Outside

Fenced Perimeter

Capture (Tortoises
Translocated or Relocated)

Subadults & Adults

Take Limit 1
Actual 0

Subadults & Adults

Take Limit 120
Actual 114

Hatchlings & Juveniles

Take Limit 2
Actual 0

Hatchlings & Juveniles

Take Limit 83
Actual 55

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Death or Injury Within

Fenced Boundary

Status

Number as of 2014

Current Number 2015

Total number of translocated desert tortoise

66

66

Current confirmed mortality or presumed

deceased translocated desert tortoise

18

22

Desert tortoise location not verified

15

Successfully located desert tortoise

33

35

Mortalities are documented and cause is investigated as thoroughly as possible

and reported to USFWS as required

Evidence has indicated that depredation was the primary cause of mortalities
among the translocated tortoise

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Translocation Status

Ongoing Desert Tortoise Monitoring

Monitoring of desert tortoises has been performed as follows:
Translocated Desert Tortoises:
Once within 24 hours of release
Monitoring of translocated tortoises was performed twice a week for first two weeks after release

A minimum of once a week from March through early November for 5 year monitoring period
Once every other week from November through February for 5 year monitoring period

A minimum of once a week from March through early November

A minimum of once every other week from November through February

Health assessments are conducted prior to and subsequent to over-wintering to observe any health
problems.

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Resident and Control Site Desert Tortoises:

Additional Measures Implemented

Traffic on access road is monitored to ensure that all Project personnel are WEAP trained or escorted to site and
other traffic is documented
Delivery vehicles are escorted to Project site and handout of basic WEAP requirements is provided to drivers that
are not WEAP trained
In addition to the surveys performed, all work areas within and outside fenced boundary are checked for desert
tortoise by a biological monitor prior to any work

Project perimeter is checked daily to ensure the exclusionary fence is intact and tortoises that were relocated
outside of the fence are not in distress. (BO only requires a monthly inspection)
During months of high temperatures, Project perimeter is checked more frequently, and during weekend and days
when work is not occurring to ensure that tortoises are not distressed along or near the fence
Desert Tortoise shade structures have been placed approximately every 700 feet on the outside of the exclusionary
fence

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Biological monitors accompany and monitor work activities, both within and outside the Project boundary

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