Diablo Decommissioning
Background:
In 2016, PG&E decided not to renew the Nuclear Regulatory Commission licenses for the Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP). The California Public Utilities Commission approved the plant’s retirement in 2018 and the plan calls for the power plant to cease operating upon the expiration of the Unit 1 and Unit 2 licenses, in November 2024 and August 2025, respectively.
PG&E submitted a land use permit application to the County in March 2021 for the decommissioning effort. The County accepted PG&E’s application in October 2021, thus initiating the environmental review process pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act. The County Department of Planning website with information about the project and process may be accessed from the link HERE.
In 2018, PG&E created the Diablo Canyon Decommissioning Engagement Panel (DCDEP) “to foster open and frequent dialogue with the community on matters related to the DCPP deactivation.” Panelists are community members from across San Luis Obispo County. Since its creation, the DCDEP has conducted public meetings and workshops on key topics of decommissioning.
Recent Events:
The Diablo Canyon Decommissioning application has been complicated by a series of recent state and federal actions that may extend the operation of the plant. In August 2022, the California state legislature passed Senate Bill 846, which seeks to extend operations at Diablo Canyon Power Plant through 2030. State funding through Senate Bill 846 provides $1.4 billion dollars and augments the six billion dollars in funding the Department of Energy announced under its Civil Nuclear Credit Program (CNC) to support the continued operation of U.S. nuclear reactors nationwide. The CNC funding is intended to assist owners or operators of nuclear power reactors that are expected to shut down due to economic circumstances to avoid premature closure. In November 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy approved conditional funding of $1.1 billion to prevent closure.
Most of the ultimate authority for approving an extension/relicensing is vested in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). On October 31, 2022, PG&E sent a letter to the NRC requesting either resumption of their license renewal application or a waiver of the 5 year lead time required for licensing/extension. See NRC webpage on Diablo Canyon License Renewal Application here. In January 2023, the NRC ruled that PG&E cannot revive their prior application; they must submit a new application. PG&E has indicated they will submit a new application to renew the plant's license for 20 years.
In August 2022, the League submitted a letter with questions to the DCDEP and the California Energy Commission regarding the possible license extension, a copy of which can be found here. Many questions remain about how this process will occur, what technical information will be required, what maintenance PG&E will have to do, and whether an extension can be limited to five years.
In May 2023, the California Natural Resources Ageny issued the Diablo Canyon Power Plant Land Conservation and Economic Development Plan. To see a copy of this Plan, click here.
In July 2023, the County issued its draft EIR for the Diablo decommissioning. See draft EIR on the County's website here.
Information about the decommissioning process is available on the County website (LINK) and the website of the Diablo Canyon Decommissioning Engagement Panel (LINK).
Action:
The Natural Resources Committee will continue to monitor progress and report.