Planned Hydropower Project On Sonoma Coast Blindsides Locals

CBS San Francisco

July 19, 2023

SONOMA - With the State steering away from fossil fuels, the push to go all-electric is creating a huge demand for carbon-free power. But in Sonoma County, even staunch environmentalists are shocked by a proposal to turn one area of the unspoiled Sonoma Coast into, in effect, a gigantic battery.

On Monday morning, it was standing room only as Supervisors considered a new coastal protection plan for Sonoma County. But what they discovered just a week prior had almost everybody in a state of shock.

"We're sitting here rebooting the policy on the local coastal plan, and then there's this big, behemoth project that comes out of nowhere," said Supervisor James Gore.

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