Members of the public have about a week to submit their input on a proposed change to the Department of Energy’s civil nuclear credits program that would make a California nuclear power plant eligible for part of the federal bailout, the agency said last week.
If adopted, the proposed amendment to DOE’s nuclear credits guidance for its first award cycle would do away with restrictions that disqualify from awards plant operators using a ratemaking scheme known as cost-of-service regulation. That is according to an agency document dated Friday. Members of the public have until June 27 to submit comments on the proposal.
DOE plans the rule change in response to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) May request that the department to deep-six its cost-of-service rule. Changing the “overly broad” restriction would make the state’s Diablo Canyon Power Plant, which uses cost-of-service regulation, eligible for federal funds, Newsom said.
Meanwhile, one crucial Golden State politicians changed her tune on the fate of the San Luis Obispo, Calif., Diablo Canyon plant, whose operator Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) currently plans to shut off its two reactors in 2024 and 2025.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who once applauded PG&E’s decision to close the plant, wrote in an op-ed last week that she had “changed her mind” about shuttering Diablo Canyon and now supports keeping it running until other sources of clean energy become available.
Despite mounting pressure to keep Diablo Canyon open, however, PG&E has yet to alter its course. PG&E vice president Maureen Zawalick said at Exchange Monitor’s Decommissioning Strategy Forum June 6 that the company was still “full steam ahead” on decommissioning the plant.
Meanwhile, the utility is pulling together its plans for dismantling Diablo Canyon once its last reactor goes offline. PG&E in April announced that it had selected Orano USA to handle spent fuel management at the plant post-closure, swapping out Holtec International as its contractor for that service.
