WINTERS — PG&E formally submitted a permit application to the City of Winters to build a new Gas Operations Technical Training Center on Monday (Oct. 6). PG&E is expected to begin construction in 2015.
“We took a very important step toward breaking ground on our new state-of-the-art Gas Operations Training Center in the City of Winters,” said PG&E President Chris Johns. “Building this center not only creates a centralized location for our employees to train on the latest technology and learn about new safety protocols, it also will be a major investment in the local community. The center will give our employees the advanced tools and training they need to provide the best-in-class service our customers have come to expect—and deserve.”
Members of the Winters City Council, the city's mayor and the city manager open PG&E’s “Application Box” for its new training center.
“We are delighted that PG&E chose the City of Winters as the location for its Gas Operations Training Facility, and we look forward to working together with them on this project,” said Winters Mayor Cecilia Aguiar-Curry. “The company already plays an active role in our in our community, and I believe this facility will be mutually beneficial to PG&E and Winters.”
The Gas Operations Technical Training Center will provide approximately 36,000 training hours per year, with between 100 and 150 students on site every day. The project will cost approximately $75 million and result in approximately $300,000 to $500,000 in new property tax generation. PG&E expects to staff about 50 full time employees once the construction is complete.
“Whenever we make an investment in our system to improve public safety, we work hard to make sure it also has a positive and lasting economic impact on our local communities. This project is a perfect example of the kind of partnerships we strive to create with the communities where we live and work,” Johns said.
The facility’s programing will focus on emerging technologies and protocols to enhance customer and employee safety and system reliability. The center will have state-of-the-art classroom settings and outdoor facilities that will provide a safe, realistic practice environment to learn important skills and techniques to respond to emergencies and improve gas service.
Winters, with a population of 7,000, is an emerging and growing community located between Sacramento and San Francisco in western Yolo County. As an active agricultural community, Winters is known for the production of nuts, pioneering agriculture, wine grapes/rootstock and high quality food. As an active destination, Winters sits at the base of Lake Berryessa, is the eastern entrance into the Napa Valley, and is widely known for its recreation, restaurants and high quality of life.
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