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Opinion
- Details
- Written by: Dave Canny
Pacific Gas and Electric mostly agrees with a recent guest opinion piece urging the removal of Scott Dam due to a better understanding of the seismic risks.
As described in our draft decommissioning plan, PG&E considers the expedited removal of the Scott Dam to be in the best interest of PG&E customers. It is also the most appropriate long-term mitigation to address the seismic risk.
In the meantime, PG&E has implemented interim measures to reduce near-term seismic risk — the most prominent being the restricted maximum reservoir storage elevation.
However, contrary to the opinion piece, PG&E’s decision not to seek a new license for the Potter Valley Project — a hydroelectric facility — is based on the fact the project is not economical for PG&E’s customers. PG&E can acquire energy from the market at much lower expense than producing it at the project’s Potter Valley hydroelectric powerhouse.
Economics drove the license surrender decision. Later, seismic studies were completed. The hazard risk is one of the key factors that led to the decommissioning plan for expedited removal of Scott Dam in the decommissioning plan and schedule.
Ultimately, the project not being economic means we made the decision in the best interest of our customers and their energy bills.
The Potter Valley Project was developed for power generation, but a byproduct of power production was water diverted from the Eel River to the Russian River watershed, which over time was utilized by communities in Mendocino, Sonoma and Marin counties.
PG&E recognizes the communities’ water concerns and continues to work with the Eel Russian Project Authority in their development of future water diversion infrastructure so water can continue to flow to the Russian River watershed.
What is often missing from recent news stories is that nearly 10 years ago, when PG&E determined it was no longer interested in continuing to operate the Potter Valley Project, we approached water users about taking on the facility. We did this because PG&E understood how the users had grown to depend on the water.
Eventually we issued a request for offers to any potential buyer. With no takers, in 2019 PG&E decided to withdraw its preliminary application for notice of intent to file an application for a new hydropower license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC.
The agency then initiated its “orphan process” which allowed another opportunity for interested parties to seek ownership by taking on the relicensing, but again none did. In response, FERC directed PG&E to develop a surrender application and decommissioning plan.
PG&E plans to engage a broad set of stakeholders in development of the details of the decommissioning plan. The filing of PG&E’s surrender application and decommissioning plan to FERC in July 2025 is not the end of the process.
While we have been already working with the Eel Russian Project Authority on their future diversion, PG&E’s filing of the surrender application and decommissioning plan is really the beginning of the regulatory proceeding and development of detailed management plans.
In 2023, seismic studies at Scott Dam completed by PG&E and its consultants raised some concerns. To mitigate potential risks, PG&E implemented a reservoir restriction of 10 feet below the usual maximum reservoir elevation.
To maintain this reservoir restriction PG&E is not closing the dam’s spillway gates. With the gates open, there is less water in the reservoir and less pressure on the dam, which leaves more capacity to resist damage from earthquake shaking.
Lastly, PG&E is not “abandoning” the project and remains committed to safely operating the facility until the eventual decommissioning, and to acting transparently and with integrity in engaging all interested parties throughout the process.
Dave Canny is vice president of PG&E’s North Coast Region and a resident of Marin County, California.
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- Written by: Carolynn Jarrett
Here’s how it works: At an end of the year assembly, fifth grade students, chosen by teachers and principals are recognized, given $25, and told that if they graduate from high school, they will receive $500. However, if they enroll at Woodland College with 12 units, they will receive $1000.
These students are not necessarily the top of the class but are those who might be facing challenges at home or who have potential but are not engaged. The Konocti District is discussing ways to support these students as they move from 6th to 12th grade
Each scholarship costs $700. The money is invested so that $1000 is available for each student upon graduation.
Because this program is new, this being its 4th year, and because it is funded solely by donations and small fundraisers, for the last 3 years, it has only been able to recognize one student per school in each of the Middletown and Konocti school districts. However, this year thanks to groups like the Lake County Retired Teachers Division #35 and Lakeshore Lionesses, as well as numerous private individuals, we have raised an additional $3500. This will add 5 more students to our roster.
But there are 7 elementary schools in south county! We need another $1400 to meet this year’s goal of adding at least one more student to each school site.
We strongly believe that this program, if vigorously implemented, has the capacity to decrease truancy, teen pregnancy, drug use, and delinquency. It gives students an achievable goal and then supports them in reaching that goal. It will have a positive impact not only on the student but our community at large.
Please join us in this effort by donating whatever you can. If you are interested in making a donation please go to www.yccdfoundation.org/lake-campus-fund-2. Thank you so much!
If you would like more information, or to schedule a presentation to have someone speak to your group about Adopt a Fifth Grader, please call Carolynn Jarrett at 707-994-2878.
Carolynn Jarrett lives in Clearlake, Calif.
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- Written by: Nishta Waland
I have personally witnessed the impacts of this while I was growing up in Lake County and now as a UC Berkeley student. In the Konocti Unified School District, where I went to school, I saw a concerning pattern of instructors arriving and disappearing. It always seemed that a brilliant instructor would quit because they were worn out, underpaid, or just couldn't afford to continue, just as a student would connect with them and succeed under their guidance. In retrospect, I strongly think that a similar collective movement at the time may have had better results, possibly even preventing some of those amazing educators from leaving the community.
What people don't realize is that when a teacher decides to leave, it has an impact on not only one classroom but also the school's overall atmosphere, student achievement, and the general well-being of the community. Teachers are essential to the future prosperity of the public, mental health support, and young development. We really cannot afford to lose them, or have them battle for recognition.
One thing that would genuinely make a difference is having a significant commitment to investing in teachers, not only financially but also through legislative reforms that emphasize education as the fundamental public benefit that it is. Before things become worse, Middletown teachers deserve to be valued, heard, and supported through more fair contracts for teachers.
Nishta Waland lives in Berkeley, Calif.
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- Written by: Peter Luchetti, Angela Amaral, Jesse Cude, Holly Harris, Margaux Kambara, Tom Lajcik and Chuck Lamb
This dam’s removal will profoundly and detrimentally affect our local economy, environment and public safety. Both Scott Dam and Lake Pillsbury are completely inside Lake County’s boundaries. Yet for years, PG&E, along with agencies and coalitions from outside of Lake County systematically failed to engage with the people who will bear the greatest burden of such an action and continue to trivialize the negative impact on Lake County. It is unacceptable that such a major action is being pushed forward without ensuring the residents of Lake County — those who live, work, and rely on Lake Pillsbury — have a real seat at the table.
Lake Pillsbury is not just a body of water; it is a vital resource for our region. Economically, the lake supports tourism, recreation, and local businesses, all of which depend on its existence. Without the lake, we risk devastating financial losses for small businesses and property owners who rely on its steady flow of visitors. The dam also plays a crucial role in wildfire mitigation, as it provides an essential water source for firefighting efforts in an area that has been repeatedly ravaged by wildfires.
The potential removal of Scott Dam without a clear plan to protect Lake County’s interests is reckless and irresponsible. That is why the Board of Supervisors is right to demand that the state and federal governments intervene. PG&E must not be allowed to move forward without a thorough, transparent process that genuinely includes local stakeholders.
Lake County deserves better. We deserve the right to be heard, to have our concerns addressed, and to ensure any decision about Scott Dam prioritizes the well-being of our community.
LC CAP urges all residents to stand with the Board of Supervisors in calling for a fair and inclusive process — one that recognizes the undeniable importance of Lake Pillsbury to our county’s economy and wildfire resilience.
Lake CAP Community Action Project Founding Members are Peter Luchetti, Angela Amaral, Jesse Cude, Holly Harris, Margaux Kambara, Tom Lajcik and Chuck Lamb.