PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF A DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT AND SCOPING MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the County of Merced, as lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), will prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIR) for the Spike's Peak Solar Project (Conditional Use Permit No. CUP23-002). The County is issuing this Notice of Preparation (NOP) pursuant to Section 15082 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines with the intent of providing with sufficient information describing the project and the potential environmental effects to enable meaningful responses and solicit the views of the public, interested parties, and/or agencies as to the scope and content of the forthcoming EIR. Conditional Use Permit No. CUP23-002 is a request to construct, establish, and operate a 150-megawatt (MW) utility-scale solar photovoltaic electrical generating and storage for an operational life up to 35 years. The project would consist of the development of approximately 860 acres to include solar arrays, a 150 MW battery energy storage solar system (BESS), substation, operational and maintenance (O&M) facility, detention basin, radio tower, meteorological station, access roads, collector line routes, and generation tie line to the PG&E Quinto Switch Station. The project would also involve the decommissioning and reclamation of the project site at the end of the operational period. The project site is generally located on the north and south sides of West McCabe Road with the solar panels located on the north side of McCabe Road and the generation tie (gen-tie) lines located on the south side of McCabe Road. The project site is approximately 1 mile west of South Whitworth Road in the Gustine area, identified as Assessor's Parcel Numbers (APNs) 069-220-014, 069-220-036, 069-220-046, 069-220-049, 069-220-067, and 069-240-028. The project site is designated Agricultural land use in the General Plan and zoned A-1 (General Agricultural). PUBLIC REVIEW: The full description, location, and the probable environmental effects of the proposed project and copies of this NOP may be reviewed at the Community and Economic Development Department, 2222 'M' Street, Merced, CA 95340. This information is also available for download from the Merced County Planning Division website at: https://www.countyofmerced.com/414/Environmental-Documents. This NOP is available for a 30-day public review and comment (starting June 12, 2025, and ending July 14, 2025). Any written comments must be received should be emailed to Ana.Hernandez@countyofmerced.com and/or mailed to: Ana Hernandez, Planner I, Merced County Community and Economic Development Department 2222 M Street, Merced CA 95340 Comments should be provided at the earliest possible date and must be received by 5:00 PM on July 14, 2025. SCOPING MEETING: The County will hold a public scoping meeting to inform interested parties about the Project and provide agencies and the public with an opportunity to submit comments on the scope and content, including alternatives, that should be addressed in the EIR. The public scoping meeting will be conducted virtually on June 25, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. See the following link to register for the meeting: tinyurl.com/Spikes-Peak-Scoping-Meeting Any interested persons may attend and participate in the scoping meeting. If you have any questions regarding the scoping meeting, contact Ana Hernandez, Planner I, at (209) 385-7654 ext. 4422 or Ana.Hernandez@countyofmerced.com. June 18, 2025 WEX#25-116