Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Station, California's last operating nuclear generation station, is on the cusp of closing. A good thing too, because it sit on top of an active geological fault next to the Pacific Ocean. It is the USA's version of Fukushima. As we all know, a tsunami wiped that plant out, causing a never ending headache of radioactive waste and debris. So US Person find it somewhat incredible that a Democratic Governor, Gavin Newsom floated the idea that he would allow the station to keep running after its scheduled closure by 2025 to "insure we have a reliable grid". Conservation groups immediately respond negatively to the idea. In their letter to the Governor they wrote,“Your suggestion to extend the operational life of the Diablo Canyon nuclear facility is an outrage,” they wrote. “Diablo Canyon is dangerous, dirty and expensive. It must retire as planned.” At stake is, what else, money. The plant's owner Pacific Gas & Electric, which plays an outsized role in the state's politics, stands to gain $6 billion in federal aid provided by the Biden administration to keep nuclear in danger of closing running. [photo credit: AP]
Nuclear facilities are closing for two very good economic reasons: they cost a lot to build, maintain and decommission once they reach the end of their serviceable life, and many of the plants build in 70s are expiring. PG&E decided to close the plant in 2016. The state is already planning to replace Diablo's electricity with clean alternatives. Environmentalist say that keeping the plant running will generate hundreds of tons of radioactive waste that has no permanent storage solution. The obvious safety risk of operating a nuclear facility in an earthquake and tsunami zone is apparently ignored by Gov, Newsom. An active fault runs.a mere 650 yards from the reactors. Not to mention the environmental damage done by the power station's essential cooling system that sucks up ocean water killing fish and other marine organisms. To make the station more quake resistant and redesign the cooling system would cost PGE and eventually rate-payers billions of dollars.
The Governor is expressing some anxiety over a clean energy future, while he says he support the plant's eventual closure. He should turn his attention to saving power by make his state more energy efficient by overhauling its grid an implementing efficiency programs across all sectors of energy use. Right now nuclear makes up 20% of the nation's total electricity generation. That figure needs to come down by getting serious about alternative energy sources