An aerial view of Diablo Canyon, the only remaining operating nuclear plant in California, due to be decommissioned in 2024 despite safely producing nearly 15% of the state’s green electric power, seen in the photos. This aerial shot on December 1, 2021, near Avila Beach, California.
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The Biden administration on Monday said it is supplying Pacific Gas & Electric Co. $1.1 billion in funding to help the company prevent the closure of Diablo Canyon, California’s last nuclear power plant.
Diablo Canyon was originally scheduled to be shut down in two phases in 2024 and 2025, but state lawmakers in September voted to keep it open in the next five years. PG&E has applied for funding in the first phase of the Department of Energy’s $6 billion Civil Nuclear Credit program to keep U.S. nuclear power reactors running.
The conditional funding, stemming from a bipartisan infrastructure law passed by Congress last year, provides a way forward for Diablo Canyon to stay open and could allow PG&E to return some of the funds. $1.4 billion loan for the plant that lawmakers approved.
Diablo Canyon is California’s single largest source of electricity and provides 8.6% of the state’s total electricity and 17% of the state’s carbon-free electricity. Diablo Canyon has helped the state grapple with power shortages as California temperatures continue to rise and heatwaves become more intense due to climate change.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement: “This is an important step to ensure that our domestic nuclear fleet will continue to provide affordable and reliable energy to consumers. America as the nation’s largest source of clean electricity.”
However, critics of Diablo Canyon have pointed out that the plant, which is located next to the Pacific Ocean in San Luis Obispo County, is earthquake-prone and can There is no permanent waste disposal solution.
Final terms of the funding can be negotiated and finalized, the Department of Energy said, but the grant is designed to cover PG&E’s expected losses in maintaining Diablo Canyon operations. Not every plant that applies to the Department of Energy program will receive funding during this initial phase.
The administration has argued that nuclear power is an important way to combat climate change and achieve the president’s pledge of 100% clean electricity by 2035 and a zero-emissions economy by 2050.
“Nuclear energy will help us meet President Biden’s climate goals, and with these historic investments in clean energy, we can protect these facilities and the community,” Granholm said. coin they serve”.
The Energy Department says nuclear power provides 50% of the country’s carbon-free electricity, but changing energy markets and other economic factors have led to the premature closure of 13 commercial reactors. commercial since 2013.
Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said in a statement that keeping Diablo Canyon up and running is necessary for the state to meet its clean energy goals while continuing to provide a reliable source of electricity. trust. Feinstein said she will oversee the funding process to ensure rigorous safety and environmental assessments are conducted at the federal and state levels.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement that the grant will provide a limited extension of Diablo Canyon and “support statewide reliability and provide a stepping stone for more clean energy projects to come online.”
