PG&E will relinquish control of Potter Valley Project

MENDOCINO CO., 5/10/18 — Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) will relinquish control of the Potter Valley Hydro-electric Project, which diverts water from the Eel River to the Russian River, sending it to Potter Valley, southern Mendo, and Sonoma County, where it is used for agricultural and urban purposes. The decision was announced today in a letter to the Eel-Russian River Commission, and could signal a major shift in water and energy policy on the North Coast. The Project will be put up for auction, though it is possible that a local agency could instead assume control.

The project was constructed over 110 years ago to provide electricity to the area, but over time has become far more important as a source of water for points south of the Eel watershed. The amount of electricity that the project produces is small by modern standards, a reason cited in PG&E’s letter for abandoning the infrastructure.