Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Friday that the state's last working nuclear power plant would be extended by five to 10 years to ensure reliable power supplies.
There has been a decades-long debate about seismic safety at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, but a proposal to extend its operation beyond 2025 gave it new urgency. While critics warned that Newsom's plan would gut state environmental protections, they portrayed it as a huge financial giveaway to plant operator Pacific Gas & Electric.
The draft proposal includes PG&E's potential forgivable loan of up to $1.4 billion and requires state agencies to act quickly so that the reactors can keep working.
Located midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the seaside plant produces 9% of the state's electricity. In response to climate change, its continued operation beyond 2025 is critical for ensuring statewide energy system reliability.
13 August 2022
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