Rob Nikolewski, of the San Diego Union Tribune, opines that the Diablo Canyon nuclear facility near San Luis Obispo is the only nuclear energy plant left in California. Diablo Canyon generates almost 18,000 gigawatt-hours of power each year, powering 1.7 million homes. By itself, Diablo Canyon, operated by Pacific Gas & Electric, accounts for nearly 9% of all in-state electricity production, all without emitting greenhouse gases at a time when California and the Obama administration have each made commitments to combat global warming. But its fate is uncertain. The license for the plant first unit expires in 2024 and the second unit license comes up in 2025. And while PG and E can apply for a 20-year extension through the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the utility officials have been coy about whether it will look for extensions.
A shutdown would leave the state with no public utility-run nuclear power plants, another punch to an industry looking to keep its aging fleet intact while at the same time competing against heavily subsidized solar and wind power and low-priced natural gas-fired facilities. For critics who have long insisted that nuclear power is inherently dangerous and too expensive, the prospect of delivering a death blow to Diablo is something to relish. Two nuclear plants are down in California and we are working to shut down on a third, said Kathryn Phillips, of Sierra Club California (a commercial adversarial group), referring to the shuttering of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and the Rancho Seco plant near Sacramento.
For the nuclear supporters, keeping Diablo Canyon online is essential to deliver reliable, base-load power and an effective way to reach the state goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Diablo Canyon is an absolutely necessary part of the energy mix in California ... but where is the California Liberal outrage against natural gas?
Original working URL: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-calfiornia-nuclear-future-2016jun04-story.html
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