Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project Update

(Posted August 12, 2026) The Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project (PVP), currently owned and operated by PG&E, is planned for license surrender and decommissioning, assuming approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The details of the decommissioning, including removal of Scott Dam and Cape Horn Dam, is detailed in PG&E’s July 2025 application to FERC. PG&E’s application includes Non-Project Use of Project Lands (NPUPL) for the proposes of constructing the New Eel-Russian Facility (NERF) while PG&E is decommissioning Cape Horn Dam. The NERF will allow continued diversions from the Eel River to the Russian River using some of the existing PVP facilities and newly constructed facilities.

Beginning in September 2025, the environmental review process began for the PVP’s decommissioning in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). In May of 2026, environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) began. The State Water Resources Control Board is leading the CEQA efforts as a responsible state agency, and FERC is leading the NEPA process as the federal agency with authority. In parallel, the Eel-Russian Project Authority (ERPA) is conducting CEQA review for the proposed NERF. ERPA is a joint powers authority that was formed to lead discussions with PG&E and to eventually construct and operate the NERF.

For more information on PG&E’s plans to decommission and surrender PVP, click HERE.

To learn more about the NERF, visit the Eel-Russian Project Authority’s website HERE.