California lawmakers vote to keep Diablo Canyon nuclear facility open

CALIFORNIA’S LAST NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, THE DIABLO CANYON FACILITY, IS SUPPOSED TO CLOSE DOWN IN 2025. BUT NOW LAWMAKERS ARE TRYING TO KEEP IT OPEN FOR A FEW MORE YEARS.

THE DIABLO CANYON PLANT IS CALIFORNIA’S LARGEST SINGLE SOURCE OF ELECTRICITY, AND SUPPLIES 15% OF THE STATES CLEAN ENERGY. LOCATED ON A BLUFF OVERLOOKING THE PACIFIC OCEAN, THE PLANT IS ABOUT HALF-WAY BETWEEN SAN FRANCISCO AND LOS ANGELES. IT’S ALSO CLOSE TO SEVERAL SEISMIC FAULT LINES.

FOR YEARS, ENVIRONMENTALISTS FOUGHT TO CLOSE THE PLANT, CITING FEARS OF THE POTENTIAL NUCLEAR FALLOUT IF THE PLANT WERE TO BE DAMAGED IN AN EARTHQUAKE.

AN AGREEMENT WAS FINALLY REACHED IN 2016 TO CLOSE THE PLANT BY 2025.

BUT, THINGS CHANGED.

CALIFORNIA’S PLAN TO GENERATE 100% OF ITS ELECTRICITY THROUGH CLEAN AND RENEWABLE SOURCES WILL BE DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE WITHOUT DIABLO. NOT TO MENTION CALIFORNIA’S ONGOING ISSUE OF NOT HAVING ENOUGH ELECTRICITY TO MEET DEMAND.

CALIFORNIAN’S WITH ELECTRIC VEHICLES WERE RECENTLY TOLD NOT TO CHARGE THEIR CARS, BECAUSE THEN THERE WOULDN’T BE ENOUGH ELECTRICITY TO RUN EVERYBODY’S AIR CONDITIONERS.

SO, LAWMAKERS PASSED A MEASURE THURSDAY SEEKING FEDERAL APPROVAL TO KEEP DIABLO RUNNING THROUGH 2030.

CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM IS EXPECTED TO APPROVE THE BILL.

HOWEVER, HIS APPROVAL DOESN’T MEAN DIABLO STAYS OPEN.

THE PLAN TO KEEP THE FACILITY ONLINE NEEDS TO GO THROUGH SEVERAL LAYERS OF APPROVAL BEFORE BEING IMPLEMENTED, AND WILL LIKELY FACE LEGAL CHALLENGES IN COURT.