Northbrook won’t change Dan River release schedule if it gets license

Posted on Posted in Announcement, Conservation, Officer Report

The good news for whitewater paddlers is that the release schedule on the Dan River in Kibler Valley will not change if Danville sells its hydro facilities to Northbrook.

An application has been filed that would transfer the license for the Pinnacles Hydroelectric Project from the City of Danville, Va., to Northbrook Virginia Hydro LLC, according to documents dated Aug. 25, 2020.

According to a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, “Northbrook agrees to accept all terms and conditions of the license transferred to it as if it were the original licensee thereunder.”

The release schedule for whitewater boating was written into the project license, which was issued May 28, 1991.

FERC must approve the transfer of the license for the $8.2 million hydro project.

Releases from the Pinnacles powerhouse are scheduled on weekends from July through October, except during periods of low flow.

Bob Brueckner, CCC Conservation Chair