Valley Water Execs Donate to Board Candidates Ahead of Nov. 3 Vote

Campaign finance filings at the Bay Area's largest South Bay water agency and a federal legislative push to relocate coastal nuclear waste highlighted California water and energy governance on Monday.

Incoming Valley Water CEO Aaron Baker Donates to Board Candidates Ahead of Nov. 3 Vote

According to a San José Spotlight report in the Mountain View Voice, two senior executives at Valley Water (Santa Clara Valley Water District)—which oversees a $1.2 billion annual budget and 900 employees—contributed to candidates running for 4 of the agency's 7 board seats on Tuesday's ballot:

• Executive Contributions & Ethics Scrutiny: Incoming CEO Aaron Baker, a 25-year agency veteran appointed last month after former CEO Rick Callender stepped down earlier in 2026 with a $716,000 separation package following an independent workplace investigation, donated $499 each to District 1 incumbent John Varela and District 6 candidate Milan Balinton (just under the $500 threshold that triggers recusal rules under California's Levine Act). Valley Water Chief of External Affairs Rachael Gibson also donated roughly $770 to Balinton. California Common Cause governance director Sean McMorris noted that while legal, contributions from top staff to the directors who evaluate their performance and compensation create a perception of conflict of interest.
• District 1, 4, 6 & 7 Fundraising Totals: In District 4 (replacing retiring Director Jim Beall), Phuong Nguyen raised roughly $36,300 against Shasta Hanchett. In District 6 (replacing Tony Estremera), Balinton raised $34,655 (plus a $100 loan) against Octavioates. In District 7, Pete Dailey raised $13,600 and loaned his campaign $80,000 against incumbent Rebecca Eisenberg, who raised $2,660 and loaned $38,000. In District 1, challenger Jimmy Forbis raised roughly $3,200 (plus a $3,050 loan) against Varela, who raised about $2,050.

Rep. Mike Levin Pitches "Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses" for San Onofre Waste

Further south along the California coast, U.S. Rep. Mike Levin (D-San Juan Capistrano) is advancing bipartisan legislation to establish privately financed "Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses" that would accept spent nuclear fuel from the shuttered San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in exchange for new reactor, reprocessing, and AI data center investments, according to The Almanac. Energy Secretary Chris Wright indicated 5 states have expressed interest in hosting such sites, while the Department of Energy recently completed its $33 million, 12-axle Atlas Railcar System designed to transport heavy nuclear casks—though independent watchdogs and 13 environmental groups led by Friends of the Earth warn that reprocessing carries proliferation and environmental risks.