Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to extend the life of California’s last remaining nuclear plant has become a major point of contention in negotiations with state lawmakers as the legislative session enters its final days.
But a counterproposal from members of the state Assembly offers another path to avoid power outages. Their plan would allow the Diablo Canyon plant on the Central Coast to retire in 2025 as scheduled and spend at least $1.4 billion — the same amount Newsom wants to give Pacific Gas & Electric to keep the plant operating through 2035 — on renewable power instead.
That money would be used to accelerate renewable energy, transmission and storage projects, reduce permitting delays for solar, wind and geothermal developments and support programs that pay consumers to use less power on hot summer evenings when the grid is at highest risk for outages. These are common-sense measures to bolster the electrical grid, and they should be taken regardless of whether Newsom’s proposal to keep Diablo Canyon open another decade moves forward.
