Lake County board approves 25‑year extension of geysers effluent pipeline agreement; steam suppliers to assume key intake costs

The Lake County Board of Supervisors, sitting as the Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors, on Nov. 18 approved two agreements that extend the county’s recycled-water partnership with geothermal steam‑field operators for 25 years.

Special districts administrator Robin Boray told the board the amendment clarifies which wastewater facilities are included, spells out emergency procedures, and “suspends delivery from McLeer Lake under drought conditions.” She said the amendment also changes cost sharing so that steam suppliers will pay “all of the cost for the makeup water and the main pipeline pumping power,” and that the steam suppliers will contribute an annual $100,000 to North Lakeport capital improvements with CPI adjustments.

The agreements — Amendment No. 4 to the joint operating agreement for the Southeast Geysers Effluent Pipeline and the Clear Lake Water Supply Agreement — were presented with support from industry partners. Joe Greco, a representative of the geysers partnership, thanked county staff for the lengthy negotiations. Daniel Matthews Saperis of Calpine and Jim Beach of the Northern California Power Agency described the arrangement as a long-standing partnership that provides jobs and regional benefits.

Nicole Flora, executive director of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, urged approval and highlighted the company’s local economic contributions. “Calpine is the biggest taxpayer in Lake County,” she told the board, and she noted the proposed $100,000 annual pledge and the company’s role in local employment.

Supervisor Sabatier pressed staff for fuller financial detail before committing to a 25‑year term, saying she had “0 financials to let me know what is our financial liability” under the proposed changes. Finance staff presented five years of expenditure data for the geysers-related costs and said that certain meter and energy expenses previously paid by the county would be covered by the steam suppliers under the amendment.

After the board approved both motions, Supervisor Sabatier asked to change her vote to abstain and moved to reconsider. The board granted the reconsideration motions, reopened public comment and then re-voted; both agreements were approved again, with one vote recorded as abstention (motions carried 4–0–1).

The actions authorize the chair to sign the finalized agreements and, according to staff, should reduce the county’s annual operating burden for the lake intake and associated energy costs while securing long‑term effluent disposal that supports regional geothermal generation.

Next steps: the board executed the motions to authorize signature on the finalized agreements and the item is closed unless the board places it back on a future agenda.