California Campus Load Flexibility: CC-FLEX
Summary
SCH Number
2025100852
Public Agency
California Energy Commission
Document Title
California Campus Load Flexibility: CC-FLEX
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
10/20/2025
Document Description
This project will develop CC-FLEX an open-source software solution to transform campuses into VPPs. CC-FLEX targets a chiller cooling plant and chilled water tank, a battery energy storage system (BESS), a fleet of EV charging stations, building thermostats served by the chiller plant, and combinations of these, (2) significant deployment efforts at UC Merced, UC San Diego, and Bakersfield College, demonstrating its cost-effectiveness and performance. LBNL is leveraging existing DER assets at these partners' sites so there will be no construction work involved in this project. Instead, LBNL will develop and deploy a software solution that integrates with existing DER assets via APIs and other interfaces.
Contact Information
Name
Christian Fredericks
Agency Name
California Energy Commission
Job Title
Mechanical Engineer
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Address
Phone
Name
Donghun Kim
Agency Name
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Job Title
Project Manager
Contact Types
Parties Undertaking Project
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Bakersfield, Merced
Counties
Kern, Merced, San Diego
Regions
Southern California
Zip
93305
Other Location Info
Merced 95343 and La Jolla 92093
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 15301
Reasons for Exemption
Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, sect. 15301 provides that projects which consist of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, and which involve negligible or no expansion of existing or former use at the time of the lead agency's determination, are categorically exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The proposed project will consist of the integration and optimization of existing mechanical and electrical infrastructure such as chiller plants, thermal energy storage systems, battery energy storage systems, and EV charging stations. All activities are confined to the operation, repair, maintenance, and minor software-based alterations of these pre-existing systems, leveraging established Energy Management System platforms and control networks. The project does not propose new construction or physical expansion, and all modifications are designed to preserve existing use patterns while enhancing operational efficiency and load flexibility. Therefore, the project falls within section 15301 and will not have a significant effect on the environment.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 15303
Reasons for Exemption
Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, sec. 15303 provides that projects which consist of construction and location of limited numbers of new, small facilities or structures; installation of small new equipment and facilities in small structures; and the conversion of existing small structures from one use to another where only minor modifications are made in the exterior of the structure, are categorically exempt from the provisions of CEQA. This project consists of installation of new sensors and measurement devices on existing mechanical and electrical equipment. These devices provide and enhance existing data without altering the underlying infrastructure. All sensor deployments are non-invasive and leverage pre-installed systems such as chillers, TES units, and BESS assets to support the proposed VPP software solution. Therefore, the project falls within section 15303 and will not have a significant effect on the environment.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 15306
Reasons for Exemption
Cal. Code Regs, tit. 14, sec. 15306 provides that projects which consist of basic data collection, research, experimental management, and resource evaluation activities which do not result in a serious or major disturbance to an environmental resource are categorically exempt from the provisions of CEQA. This project involves basic data collection and monitoring activities to evaluate infrastructure performance under varying operational scenarios. Research and experimental management efforts focus on testing software-driven control strategies and assessing their impact on energy flexibility. The project includes analyzing thermal and electrical storage utilization, load shifting potential, and system responsiveness to grid signals. For these reasons, the proposed project will have no significant effect on the environment and is categorically exempt under CEQA under section 15306.
This project does not involve impacts on any particularly sensitive environment; will not impact an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern where designated, precisely mapped, and officially adopted pursuant to law by federal, state, or local agencies; any cumulative impacts of successive projects of the same type in the same place that might be considered significant; does not involve unusual circumstances that might have a significant effect on the environment; will not result in damage to scenic resources within a highway officially designated as a state scenic highway; the project sites are not included on any list compiled pursuant to Government Code section 65962.5, and the project will not cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource. Therefore, none of the exceptions to categorical exemptions listed in CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2 apply to this project and this project will not have a significant effect on the environment.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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