The Diablo Canyon Power Plant may not close after all. The accelerating devastation of climate change and the state’s calls for clean energy could stall PG&E’s scheduled shutdown.
California’s last nuclear power plant was slated to begin shutting down next year. But now, the state’s growing demand for clean energy, paired with the worsening impacts of climate change, could give Diablo Canyon’s twin reactors new life.
But it’s not just heatwaves, bomb cyclones and wildfires that worry regulators; it’s also electricity demand. As the state works to decarbonize its transportation, building and industrial sectors to bring down emissions, its reliance on electricity is skyrocketing. “Intermittent sources alone cannot replace Diablo Canyon’s reliable 24/7 production of dispatchable carbon-free electricity,” he said.
But this clean power comes with a massive downside: radioactive waste. The byproducts, like uranium tailings and spent reactor fuel, can remain radioactive for thousands of years, posing environmental and health harms that some worry hasn’t been fully accounted for. Others have voiced concerns about the plant’s age and maintenance history. “Diablo Canyon has been one of the least reliable nuclear plants in the country,” said Tim Judson, executive director at Nuclear Information & Resource Service. “It’s already showing signs that they’re not putting as much money into maintenance as they would be if they were going to continue running this plant for 20 years.
But beyond its safety issues, critics worry that Diablo’s continued operation will mean that nuclear power will compete with renewables on the grid, especially during the day when solar energy is at its peak.
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