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Winters Could Be Home Of New PG&E Gas Line Training Facility

WINTERS (CBS13) — A small, quiet town in Yolo County could soon see a major economic boom, thanks to a new PG&E training center.

What's an overgrown lot in Winters currently will very likely soon be a state-of-the-art learning facility.

"We're excited," said Buckhorn Steakhouse owner Melanie Bajakian.

That may be an understate for the woman who also owns the Putah Creek Cafe.

"We've really been needing the tipping point and we really think that PG&E is going to be the tipping point for our town to bring other people in," she said.

The proposed $75 million PG&E gas academy would allow up to 150 gas line workers a day to come learn.

PG&E spokesman Donald Cutler says the company picked the spot for its location and Winters' hospitality.

As for the project itself, Cutler declined to say whether the facility was created in direct response to the deadly San Bruno gas line explosion in 2010 that leveled a neighborhood.
pg&e pipeline

"This is a training facility to make sure that our crews have the information that they need to make sure that our system becomes the safest and most reliable gas system in the country," he said.

Winters City Manager John Donlevy says the project will be carefully planned out, so nearby creeks and neighborhoods are protected. He insists the academy, with at least one hotel in the works, will be a huge economic boost.

"As we look at the project its an absolute win-win for PG&E and the city," he said. "The project represents literally hundreds of thousands of dollars that accrue to the city."

The project still has some steps to work through, but it could open by 2016.

PG&E says students at the academy will train using air lines instead of actual gas lines to reduce the risks of accidents.

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