The Lake County Board of Supervisors voted Nov. 18 to approve Amendment No.4 to the joint operating agreement that governs the Southeast Geysers effluent pipeline and the Clear Lake Water Supply Agreement, extending the county’s partnership with steam suppliers for another 25 years.

Special Districts Administrator Robin Boray framed the measure as a continuation of a public‑private partnership that has moved recycled effluent from Lake County wastewater plants to geothermal steamfields since 1997. Boray told the board the amendment clarifies which wastewater facilities are included, spells out what qualifies as an emergency, updates cost‑sharing thresholds and redirects previously shared lake intake costs to the steam suppliers. She said the steam suppliers will make a new contribution of $100,000 a year to capital improvements, indexed to inflation.

Why it matters: The pipeline has enabled Lake County special districts to avoid large, costly expansions to local wastewater storage by delivering treated effluent for geothermal injection. County staff and industry partners said the arrangement both saves the district money and supports renewable energy production in the Geysers region.

What staff and partners said: Calpine, NCPA and other industry representatives thanked the county for the long partnership. Joe Greco of Calpine called the agreement a “win‑win,” and NCPA and Calpine officials said timely execution is necessary to avoid disruption to operations. Boray and finance staff provided five years of operating cost figures showing recent variability tied to lake intake and related repairs; staff said the amendment means those lake‑intake costs will now be fully covered by steam suppliers.

Board questions and reconsideration: Several supervisors pressed for more detailed, itemized financial exposure before voting a 25‑year extension. Supervisor Sabatier asked for the historical and avoided‑cost calculations used in negotiations; staff produced recent cost breakdowns and said prior intake repair costs would be borne by suppliers under the amendment. After the board initially approved both agreements, Supervisor Sabatier sought to change his vote to abstain and successfully moved to reconsider. The board took the items back up and again approved both motions; the final recorded outcomes showed the motions carrying with a 4–0–1 tally (one abstention).

Next steps: County counsel confirmed finalized versions of the agreements are posted as addenda in the county’s meeting documents and the county chair was authorized to sign. Staff said the measures will return to the board for any required implementing steps and for follow‑on negotiations with Clear Lake Oaks and other partners.

Details: The amendment continues delivery of effluent from at least 10 Lake County communities and preserves the existing annual maximum diversion volume while adding a monthly cap in certain conditions; it also updates references to other makeup water agreements with Yolo County. Staff said the amendment will allow long‑term capital planning and reduce the county’s direct annual costs related to lake intake infrastructure.