SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California lawmakers voted to keep the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant open for five more years, ultimately siding with Gov. Gavin Newsom's controversial call to lend PG&E up to $1.4 billion and reverse plans to shutter the facility.
PG&E agreed six years ago to close the plant in 2025 in part because of safety concerns in the event of a major earthquake along fault lines near the coastal San Luis Obispo County site and as environmental groups pressured the state to do more to meet its renewable energy goals.
But California's inability to avoid rolling blackouts during 2020 heat waves prompted Newsom to reconsider closing Diablo, the state's single largest power source. The plant generated 6% of California's electricity last year.
