Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Requests Additional Information for California Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has issued a request for additional information from Pacific Gas and Electric Company for the California Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project. The commission is seeking more details regarding a temporary modification of minimum flow requirements for the East Branch Russian River, which will facilitate a penstock and stave repair effort. The project, located on the Eel River and East Branch Russian River in Mendocino and Lake counties, California, requires compliance with the Reasonable and Prudent Alternative (RPA) provided in the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Marine Fisheries Service 2002 Biological Opinion and the Order Amending License, issued January 28, 2004.

Key Takeaways:

• The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is requesting additional information from Pacific Gas and Electric Company regarding a temporary modification of minimum flow requirements for the East Branch Russian River.
• The modification will facilitate a penstock and stave repair effort, which will require the installation of a staff gage to measure flows.
• The commission is seeking detailed information on the conduit and seasonal creek that will be used to release flows into the East Branch Russian River, as well as the anticipated cumulative effects of the variance request.
• Pacific Gas and Electric Company has submitted a variance request to reduce E-16 flows, filed on February 14, 2025, which is currently pending before the Commission.
• The commission is encouraging electronic filing and requests that the information be submitted within 30 days of the date of this letter, by July 30, 2025.

Statistics:

• Minimum flow requirements for the East Branch Russian River are currently set at 35 cubic feet per second (cfs) as measured at compliance point E-16 from November 1 through November 30.
• The proposed variance will reduce the minimum flow threshold to 20 cfs, as measured at a staff gage, from November 1 through November 30, 2025.
• The penstock and stave repair effort is expected to take two to three weeks to complete.

Sources:

• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Project No. 77-324--California Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project Pacific Gas and Electric Company June 30, 2025
• Pacific Gas and Electric Company, 25 FERC 62,010 (1983)
• Pacific Gas and Electric Company, 106 FERC P 61,065 (2004)
• Pacific Gas and Electric Company, 116 FERC P 62,175 (2006)
• U.S. Department of Commerce's National Marine Fisheries Service 2002 Biological Opinion and the Order Amending License, issued January 28, 2004