total disruption of site archaeological resources and the visual resources of the vicinity, and potentially significant socioeconomic impacts, particularly during GRS construction. Socioeconomic impacts would stem largely from the immigration of construction workers (and their dependents) and secondary employees associated with GRS development. Rapid growth in rural areas can overtax the financial and service capacities of local agencies and can have adverse effects on the social fabric of small, stable communities. Peak construction phase population inmigration is estimated at 3,900 at Rose Valley/ Coso, which would strain local infrastructure capacity somewhat. However, inmigration (and impacts) would be larger in more remote areas, since roughly 30 percent of the construction work force is within daily commuting range of Rose Valley. A key element in mitigating socioeconomic impacts at Rose Valley/ Coso (and elsewhere) is the provision of sizable onsite housing facilities for GRS construction workers. Critical project parameters revealed include: the sheer size and intensivity of use of the the contiguous land area required by an SPS GRS; the lack of flexibility in siting individual rectenna structures once the rectenna field boundaries are established; the difficulties in finding suitable sites that do not conflict with other societal needs and values; the proposed two-year GRS construction schedule, which has significant implications for socioeconomic impacts (i.e. peak population inmigration) as well as possible logistical problems stemming from the delivery of huge volumes of construction materials to the site — both which could be reduced by extending the construction schedule; and public vs. private GRS ownership, which has significant implications for GRS tax base impacts on the siting area (e.g. publicly owned facilities produce no property tax revenues).
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