Rollins, Burgum convene meeting between PG&E and potential Potter Valley dam buyers
“Our hope is clear,” Brooke Rollins said of the meeting in D.C. “Keep the Scott and Cape Horn Dams in place and working for the communities they serve.”
Today in Washington, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum convened a meeting between officials representing California utility giant Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District (EVMWD), a Southern California water entity interested in purchasing the Potter Valley Project.
The hydroelectric project, which has belonged to PG&E for about 100 years and supplies water to approximately 750,000 Northern California residents, is currently on a path to removal, in a story broken nationally by UNWON.
“Our hope is clear,” Rollins said of the meeting, “Keep the Scott and Cape Horn Dams in place and working for the communities they serve.”
She added that she hopes the parties will “begin constructive negotiations on the future of the Potter Valley Project” and “take this fight off social media and get it resolved.”
“For over 100 years, these dams have provided clean hydropower and reliable water to farmers, families, and ecosystems across the Eel and Russian River basins,” Rollins continued. “We want to protect the dams and support the many farmers that rely on this infrastructure. The Trump Administration is focused on real solutions to preserve these dams and keep California farms and rural communities thriving. More to come!”
In April, Rollins announced Elsinore Valley’s interest in purchasing the dams, and referenced Interior’s shared interest in the continued functioning of the Potter Valley Project.
“This would allow President Trump and Secretary Burgum to restart/expand reliable hydroelectric electric generation while keeping both in place. I hope PG&E is taking them seriously,” Rollins said.
In an interview with UNWON, Darcy Burke, vice president of EVMWD, said her board was not interested in using water from the Potter Valley Project. They saw purchasing the infrastructure as both an opportunity to acquire a valuable asset, and as a moral imperative.
“An investment in water anywhere in California, any water infrastructure, it’s like a high tide lifts all boats right? So that’s why we’re here. We believe in supporting the California farmer.”
PG&E did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
I read somewhere the electrical generation is not currently functioning… can it be restored, and at what cost?