Pacific Gas & Electric cleared a major hurdle Thursday in its bid to operate the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant beyond 2025, with a federal agency ruling that PG&E can keep the reactors humming while the company navigates a lengthy relicensing process.
The decision by the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission comes six months after California lawmakers overwhelming approved a bill aimed at keeping Diablo Canyon running until 2030 — five years past its scheduled shutdown date.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has argued the state still needs the nuclear plant — its single largest electricity source — to help keep the lights on as global warming drives higher demand for air conditioning, and as California increasingly relies on solar farms that stop generating electricity after sundown. Two evenings of brief rolling blackouts in August 2020 — and several close calls since then — have highlighted the need for climate-friendly energy sources that can be counted on 24/7.
