David Sneed reports that during a lengthy discussion with Pacific Gas and Electric Co., the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission reaffirmed its determination that Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant could withstand a powerful earthquake on faults surrounding the plant. Officials held a highly technical four-hour discussion about the seismic conditions in and around Diablo Canyon in the aftermath of the Fukushima tsunami and associated nuclear plant damage in 2011, the latter of which caused no deaths or serious injury by radiation. The intent of the discussion was to update the NRC on PG and E efforts to study the extensive system of earthquake faults around the plant and ensure that the plant vital safety equipment can continue to function even if a powerful quake occurs, which failed at the Japanese plant after the impact caused by the Fukushima tsunami.
No regulatory or policy decisions were made at the meeting, which took place at NRC headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, said Nicholas DiFrancesco, with the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. Following the Fukushima accident in Japan, the NRC required that all nuclear power plants in the U.S. conduct additional safety inspections. In March, PG and E submitted an interim evaluation of the seismic safety at Diablo Canyon that determined it could withstand a worst-case scenario quake on multiple faults. Norm Abrahamson, a PG and E seismologist, said Diablo Canyon is surrounded by four significant faults, the movement of which could cause earthquakes and an associated tsunami, especially the Hosgri Fault, which is about three miles offshore from the plant. The electrical power that could be generated by the the re-start-up and operation of the Diablo Canyon plant could contribute to easing some of California water issues. See Conca article, dated April 27 below.
Natural gas and renewables will likely win-out over keeping the nuclear plant in the mix. As the gas prices rise and the renewables don't pan out, California will likely turn to SMRs in a few years.
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