The case for nuclear power as a climate solution got a big boost Monday when the Biden administration announced it's giving Pacific Gas & Electric Co. a $1.1-billion grant to help the company keep operating California's last nuclear plant.
The Diablo Canyon plant is currently scheduled to shut down in two phases, with the first reactor going offline in 2024 and the second in 2025. But Gov. Gavin Newsom has led a spirited push to keep the reactors humming another five years, saying they're badly needed to help the Golden State grapple with power shortages and worsening heat waves.
The federal money doesn't guarantee Diablo Canyon will stay open longer. But it's looking increasingly likely California will rely on the plant for at least a few additional years — despite decades of antinuclear activism and continued public concerns about what would happen if an earthquake erupts along one of the seismic fault lines near the facility.
