Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Potter Valley Project (FERC Project No. 77)
Surrender Application and Decommissioning Plan
Stakeholder Website
Welcome
This website is intended to be an information resource for federal, state, and local agencies; non-governmental organizations; and individual members of the public who may be interested in the surrender and decommissioning of Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E’s) Potter Valley Project (FERC Project No. 77). The website provides documents and material that are specifically related to the surrender and decommissioning proceeding, including documents prepared by PG&E and related comments provided by resource agencies and other interested stakeholders. This site will be periodically updated by PG&E as new information is developed.
Please note that the documents page is password protected. The password can be obtained by contacting Tony Gigliotti at Tony.Gigliotti@pge.com.
Process Schedule
Distribution of Final Surrender Application and Decommissioning Plan | Jan 25, 2025 |
Deadline for Comments | Feb 26, 2025 |
Consultation with Resource Agencies and Tribes | Mar - Jun 2025 |
Filing and Distribution Final Surrender Application and Decommissioning Plan with FERC | Jul 29, 2025 |
Consultation with Resource Agencies and Tribes on Plan and Measures | After Filing |
Links
Potter Valley Project Overview
The Potter Valley Project (Project) is located in northern California, in the Upper Eel River and Russian River watersheds, in Lake and Mendocino counties. The main storage reservoir for the Project, Lake Pillsbury, is formed behind Scott Dam, which is located on the Eel River. Water captured and stored in Lake Pillsbury is released into the Eel River and then captured again in Van Arsdale Reservoir, an approximately 65-acre reservoir formed behind Cape Horn Dam. Water captured in Van Arsdale Reservoir is diverted and conveyed to the Potter Valley Powerhouse, which is located just north of a predominately agricultural area known as the Potter Valley. After generating power, water is discharged via canal into the East Branch Russian River, or into irrigation canals, used by the Potter Valley Irrigation District (PVID) to provide irrigation water to farmers in the Potter Valley. The water discharged to the East Branch Russian River is captured in Lake Mendocino, which is administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood protection, but also stores water used by the Sonoma County Water Agency (SWCA).
Surrender Process Overview
In 2019, PG&E determined that it would be contrary to the best interests of its electric ratepayers to continue relicensing the Project and filed a Notice of Withdrawal of the Notice of Intent (NOI) and Pre-Application Document (PAD) for the Project, both previously filed on April 6, 2017. In response to PG&E’s Notice of Withdrawal, on March 1, 2019, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a Notice Soliciting Applications from any party interested in filing a license application for a new license for the Project, stating that applicants must first file a NOI and PAD. FERC’s solicitation did not result in a viable new applicant, and on May 11, 2022, FERC directed PG&E to provide a plan and schedule for submitting a Surrender Application by July 11, 2022. PG&E’s approved plan and schedule stated that PG&E would file a Surrender Application with FERC within 30 months after FERC approval of the proposed plan and schedule. The FERC approved PG&E’s proposed plan and schedule on July 29, 2022; the deadline for filing of the Surrender Application is January 29, 2025.