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The
California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved extended
operations at the 2,240-megawatts Diablo Canyon plant's two
reactor units until 2029 and 2030, from 2024 and 2025,
respectively.
PG&E can now keep Diablo Canyon running while it awaits a
renewed federal operating license, and it must also keep the
terms of its $1.4 billion loan agreement with California, the
CPUC said in its decision.
PG&E applied on Nov. 7 with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission for a license renewal, and had previously received
approval to keep Diablo Canyon running during the relicensing
period.
"Shortfalls could occur under climate-driven extreme events,
including the extreme heat events California recently
experienced in 2020 and 2022, and the risks are compounded if
coincident wildfire risk reduced transmission capacity during
peak events," it added.
Separately, the CPUC last month approved a 13% rate hike for
PG&E, with most earmarked for wildfire mitigation.
The CPUC could not determine if Diablo Canyon's extension costs
are "too high to justify" or "not cost-effective or imprudent,"
claiming it lacked sufficient information.
Critics of keeping open the plant, located next to the Pacific
Ocean in San Luis Obispo County, say the region is vulnerable to
earthquakes and that there is no permanent place for disposing
of radioactive nuclear waste.
PG&E will be responsible for obtaining substitute capacity
during outages, the CPUC said, adding that any excess charges
collected in one year must be returned to customers over the
next one.
In 2022, the Biden administration approved conditional funding
of up to $1.1 billion to prevent the closure of Diablo Canyon,
as part of its effort to fight climate change.
(Reporting by Deep Vakil and Daksh Grover in Bengaluru; Editing
by Bill Berkrot)
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