Posted on 07/31/2020 12:17:58 PM PDT by george76
Gov. Gavin Newsom has appealed directly to investor Warren Buffett to support demolishing four hydroelectric dams on a river along the Oregon-California border
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which would be the largest dam removal in U.S. history.
The dams are owned by PacificCorp, an Oregon-based utility that is part of Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. conglomerate.
The $450 million project would reshape California’s second-largest river and empty giant reservoirs.
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Newsom supports a 2016 agreement under which PacifiCorp would transfer its federal hydroelectric licenses for the dams to a nonprofit coalition, the Klamath River Renewal Corp., that was formed to oversee the demolition.
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But two weeks ago, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission made a decision that could threaten the deal. The agency approved the license transfer on condition that PacifiCorp remain a co-licensee with the Klamath River Renewal Corp.
The agency said it believes the nonprofit is capable of carrying out the project, and it is concerned that the corporation “has limited finances and no experience with hydropower dam operation or dam removal.”
“Costs could escalate beyond the level anticipated and unexpected technical issues could arise. Were the Renewal Corp. to be the sole licensee, it might ultimately be faced with matters that it is not equipped to handle,” the agency said.
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The dams are the southernmost of six built in southern Oregon and California’s far north beginning in 1918 to provide electrical power. They are also part of an irrigation system serving vast farming areas.
The four dams to be demolished lack concrete chutes called fish ladders through which fish can pass to reach upstream spawning areas. Renewing the licenses would require hundreds of millions of dollars in federally mandated modifications, including adding fish ladders.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Up in the far northeast corner of California and stretching into southeast Oregon, stretches absolutely gorgeous, pristine Tulelake/Klamath National Wildlife Refuge and the Klamath River. The town of Tulelake is about an hour south of Klamath Falls, OR. There are, indeed, lots of farms, fishing and hunting areas throughout that part of both states. Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a few miles to the east. I don’t know if what Newsome is proposing will damage all of that, but none of his voters are there, so he probably doesn’t care. (Have I mentioned lately that I loathe Democrats?)
Send all that freshwater out to the Pacific, and not to the growers in Central Valley, or to residents, where it’s needed. Newsome should be strung-up.
As they always do.
Given who wants this-It's a sure bet somebody is lining their pockets 😒.
I think those dams are a major source of water and electricity for the bay area. There will be a lot of unhappy leftists when they see what their leaders have wrought.
IMO it would be worth the dollars to put in the fish ladders in favor of the farming aspect of the dams, and if nothing else smack the environmentalists, the Democrats up the side of the head. I doubt anything would be accomplished with such a hit to the side of their heads, but it would be fun to see the b-stards rolling around on the floor crying like babies, because they lost.
A "Damned if you do and damned if you don't" moment?
This is ludicrous. CA is suffering from massive population growth and no new dam (read extra water storage) since the 60’s.
CA runs through wet years and dry years. Those before us understood this, and embarked on dam creation, which not only saved water for a dry year, but also, many times, provided the cleanest of energies.
The whole world seems to have turned upside down, in almost every aspect of common sense.
maybe I was thinking Clymer...as in don’t be such a
What have the fish been doing for the last 100 years?
= = =
Getting really, really horny.
They could probably take out the dams themselves, with a coordinated attack.
Or, for the total price of the demolition, each salmon could be given a personal limo ride upstream, to the tributary of his/her/zin choice.
That is if they have not transitioned to some infertile species.
Install fish ladders?
Oh, heck yes.
Way cheaper, and win, win, win.
No, that was Oroville.
according to the story the river is sick, the tribes can fish, (which Rez is near by) and the enviro’s just don’t like the dams
Damn! California needs more reservoirs not 4 less. This is evil.
He is nuts. Aunt Nancy’s puppet whose brain got botoxed years ago.
I agree that it’s crazy.
They must really like bird killers (wind) and space users (solar).
They also think that electricity magically comes from an outlet in the wall.
Not returning to habitat upstream from the dam. Salmon have been extirpated from previous range in some places.
“...Newsom is criminally insane...”
Yes, but he is also a plain old CRIMINAL. Hopefully Buffett will smell the skunk.....California has always had a water storage problem because of the “tree-huggers” paying the liberals to NOT DAM UP RIVERS for water storage. Big campaign bucks, don’t you know?
Anything that would compromise water storage in the state is VERY BAD NEWS even though this water feeds dams as well. Newsom does not care about the state...only power and control and the Democrat primaries in 2024.
Cutting down on food production.
Hey Jeff
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