The future of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in California is uncertain after a state agency denied a key approval necessary for its continued operation until 2030.
At the California Coastal Commission Nov. 6 meeting, the agency denied Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E) request for a coastal development permit as the agency said it needed more time to put together a land conservation deal, according to a Nov. 9 article by the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
Operating licenses for Diablo Canyon reactors were set to expire in 2024 and 2025, respectively, but California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed state legislation, Senate Bill 846, in 2022 to help extend the plant’s lifespan to 2029 for unit 1 and 2030 for unit 2.
PG&E seeks to continue operation of Diablo Canyon for five more years, as requested under the state legislation. The utility company also would be required to donate thousands of acres of land near the power plant to offset the negative environmental impacts from its cooling system.
The San Luis Obispo Tribune reported that PG&E and the state agency could not come to an agreement on how much land should be given away and related issues.
Additionally, Coastal Commission Chair Meagan Harmon said PG&E’s current mitigation proposal to combat negative environmental effects was “insufficient,” she said, according to the article.
Despite the November setback, Coastal Commission and PG&E will further discuss the matter at its next meeting in December.
Diablo Canyon is the sole operating nuclear power plant in California after San Onofre Nuclear Generation Station ceased operation in 2013. The plant produces around 2,200 megawatts, which makes up 9% of the state’s total electricity supply and 17% of the state’s zero-carbon electricity, according to PG&E.
PG&E filed for a 20-year license renewal with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2023.