Newsom Proposes Plan to Keep Nuclear Plant Open, Legislature Has Weeks To Decide

Democratic Governor of California Gavin Newsom is proposing an extension of the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant after it was set to completely close by 2025.

The California state legislature now has a few weeks to consider the plan. The session is set to end at the end of this month, meaning unless a special session is called afterwards, the lawmakers must decide soon.

The governor’s proposal involves a possible forgivable loan for PG&E, the company that runs the plant, for as much as $1.4 billion and would need state agencies to take action soon in order to allow the reactors to keep up production, according to the Associated Press. 

A draft of the bill was secured on August 11 before a California Energy Commission meeting on the state’s power requirements and how the nuclear plant could play a part in keeping up the power. The nuclear plant creates almost 9% of the state’s power, according to the San Luis Obispo Tribune. 

The proposal argued that its prolonged production for five to ten years longer than 2025 is “critical to ensure statewide energy system reliability and to minimize the emissions of greenhouse gasses while additional renewable energy resources come online, until those new renewable energy resources are adequate to meet demand.” – READ MORE