I live in Atascadero, a short distance as the crow flies from the 37-year-old Diablo Canyon Power Plant. I have staunch reservations about the Diablo nuclear plant because of the lack of safe waste disposal on-site over the long term and the unreliable condition of the plant.
Diablo is one of the plants built in the 1960s, innovative when built (except for the waste) but then it seems the federal government did not continue research into disposing of the waste, monitoring the privately owned nuclear power plants or upkeep, maintenance, and conservation. Most of these nuclear plants have closed for safety and/or non-profitability. PG&E opted in 2016 to eventually close Diablo for these reasons and the argument that California’s energy regulations give renewables priority over nuclear.
PG&E stated that the operating licenses for Diablo Canyon Units 1 and 2 would not be renewed when expired on Nov. 2, 2024, and Aug. 26, 2025, respectively. PG&E’s application to close Diablo Canyon, including the joint proposal, was approved and codified by the CPUC in January 2018. PG&E then withdrew its application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a licensing extension.
KCBX reported on Jan. 12, 2020, Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, which cost billions of dollars to build five decades ago, is estimated to cost $3.9 billion to close this decade. The decommissioning is well on its way.
Referring to nuclear power as “clean energy” is a myth. The front end of the nuclear technology is dirty and dangerous—devastation of lands where uranium is mined and refined. At the back end, we have toxic waste that will be stored on-site for decades. Reversing decommissioning would mean more waste to store. Present and future waste could endanger future uses of the Diablo Canyon property. And PG&E has refused to commit to a national best practices standard for radiation cleanup.
It is disingenuous, to say the least, that Gov. Gavin Newsom reversed his stance on closing Diablo Canyon Power Plant. California has set aside up to $75 million to extend operation of older power plants scheduled to close. This is taxpayer money. And how much more will be needed to keep Diablo running? PG&E is bailing. As of now, Diablo is partly decommissioned and in need of a colossal refurbishing to stay open and be safe, which could take years.
It is ironic that the nuclear industry may now be seeing climate change as a reason for optimism with millions set aside for nuclear plants in California and in new bills passed federally. I believe it is germane to say, it is unbelievably poor planning at this point in time to keep Diablo open. Close it on schedule.
Lee Perkins
Atascadero
This article appears in Aug 18-28, 2022.
