What is happening to Diablo Canyon?

The Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant is scheduled to close when its federal 40-year license expires in 2025 — marking the end of nuclear power generation in California.

What percentage of California’s electricity comes from Diablo Canyon?

Diablo Canyon is the state’s only operating nuclear power plant; three others are in various stages of being decommissioned. The plant provides about 9\% of California’s power, according to the California Energy Commission, compared with 37\% from natural gas, 33\% from renewables, 13.5\% from hydropower, and 3\% from coal.

Is Diablo power plant still operating?

The Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in Avila Beach, near San Luis Obispo. In 2016, Pacific Gas & Electric and a coalition of environmental groups and labor officials reached an agreement to close the plant starting in 2024.

Is Diablo Canyon closing?

In 2018, California’s leaders decided to close the state’s last nuclear power plant, at Diablo Canyon, by 2025. Several months later, they approved a bill obligating the state to be carbon-neutral by 2045.

Why is Diablo Canyon Power Plant Shutting Down?

The plant is located in Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region IV. In 2016, PG&E announced that it plans to close the two Diablo Canyon reactors in 2024 and 2025, stating that because California’s energy regulations give renewables priority over nuclear, the plant would likely only run half-time, making it uneconomical.

What is replacing nuclear power?

Some of these have been around for decades, are proven technology, and are much less harmful to the environment. The pursuit of these alternative types of energy such as thorium, solar power, natural gas, and hydrogen must continue despite the tragic accident in Japan.

Is Diablo Canyon Safe?

New and extensive scientific re-evaluations performed at the direction of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) continue to show that Diablo Canyon can safely withstand earthquakes, tsunamis and flooding that could potentially occur in the region.

Why is California shutting down Diablo Canyon?

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in 2018 approved the settlement to shut down Diablo Canyon. It also determined that Diablo Canyon could be connected to a hydrogen plant to produce hydrogen at 50\% less cost than that produced by solar and wind power.

Will California keep the lights on when Diablo Canyon shuts down?

They will shut down in 2024 and 2025. Diablo Canyon has been producing about 8\% of the electricity used in California. In July, as a wildfire in Oregon threatened transmission lines on which California relies for imported electricity, the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant was essential to keeping the state’s lights on.

Will PG&E retire Diablo Canyon power plant?

Under the proposal, the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo County would be retired by PG&E after its current U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission operating licenses expire in November 2024 and August 2025.

What will replace Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant?

The power produced by Diablo Canyon’s two nuclear reactors would be replaced with investment in a greenhouse-gas-free portfolio of energy efficiency, renewables and energy storage, PG&E said. The proposal is contingent on a number of regulatory actions, including approvals from the California Public Utilities Commission.

What does PG&E’s nuclear deal mean for California?

PG&E’s agreement will close the book on the state’s history as a nuclear pioneer, but adds to its clean energy reputation. California already leads the nation by far in use of solar energy generated by rooftop panels and by sprawling power arrays in the desert.

What happens to California’s power when Diablo Canyon closes?

Even after Diablo Canyon closes, Southern California will still get a small percentage of its electricity from Arizona’s Palo Verde nuclear plant.