Tuesday February 13, 2024
The Press Democrat —
Some public officials have likened it to “Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown” in old “Peanuts” cartoons.
But a decision by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to reverse its position on some of its surrender plan for the Potter Valley powerhouse is no laughing matter. It threatens water supply for more than 600,000 Russian River water users.
PG&E initially said it would accommodate requests from water managers and stakeholder partners in Sonoma and Mendocino counties that would allow continued water diversions from the Eel River into the Russian River. However, it now has decided to proceed with license surrender for the Potter Valley plant without those provisions.
A company spokesman said including future diversions created unwanted liabilities and threatened to delay removal of Scott and Cape Horn dams under the plant decommissioning plan.