Utility Pacific Gas & Electric and partnering organizations do not intend to contest the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) ruling on the closure plan for the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant.
Per CPUC guidelines, the parties would have to demonstrate the commission had made a legal error to receive a rehearing. While it disagreed with parts of the ruling, PG&E believes it received fair consideration from the five-person state panel, spokesman Blair Jones said Tuesday.
“We believe it is unlikely the commission would overturn the decision and approve a rehearing request,” he said.
In January, CPUC approved much of the closure approach for Diablo Canyon, a two-reactor facility in San Luis Obispo County that is California’s last operational nuclear power plant. That included authorizing full shutdown in 2025 and agreeing to nearly $500 million in ratepayer funding for retirement expenses, employee retention and retraining, and license renewal.
However, PG&E and partnering labor, community, and environmental groups did not get approval for the entirety of the “Joint Proposal” rolled out in 2016. Notably missing was $85 million in ratepayer funding to offset the loss of tax revenue for local communities once the plant is retired and any part of the plan for replacing Diablo Canyon’s energy output with other greenhouse gas-free sources (much of which had already been withdrawn).
After conferring with its partners, PG&E said on Feb. 9 that it would not request a CPUC rehearing on the proposal. It will instead move forward with the closure plan, withdrawing the license renewal application with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and setting up a community engagement panel to support planning for Diablo Canyon’s eventual decommissioning.
“PG&E remains focused on safely operating DCPP to the end of its existing licenses, which expire for Unit 1 in 2024 and Unit 2 in 2025,” the utility said in a press release.
Regulatory proceedings at CPUC and state legislation could, according to PG&E, be tools for addressing the issues not covered in the commission-approved closure plan.
