“Close Diablo Canyon Power Plant on schedule” (Aug. 18) is an opinion piece, and everyone has a right to an opinion. But when one expresses one’s opinion publicly, one must assume responsibility for the consequences of that opinion. For example, following are some consequences of the author’s opinion that Diablo Canyon should be closed.
First there is the effect on climate change. According to California Energy Commission data, the entire contribution of in-state renewables to California’s power production was a little more than 24 percent last year. This includes an ongoing expansion of renewable capacity, especially solar. According to the same data, the renewables share of annual production over the last few years has increased at the blistering rate of about half a percent a year, which means that California can look forward to renewables serving 100 percent of in-state California power production in about 150 years. More importantly, this means that at least 75 percent of Diablo Canyon’s production will have to be replaced by something other than renewables. The only other possible substantial source of clean energy in California is hydropower, but hydropower capacity is not only not expandable, its current production has also been gravely reduced to a fraction of its capacity by prolonged drought. The bottom line is that at least 75 percent of Diablo Canyon’s production will be replaced by in-state fossil fuels, mostly natural gas, which will require a lot more fracking.
By the way, imported clean energy does not count because it comes from existing sources, so there is no effect on reducing global carbon emissions. Emissions can only be reduced by expanding clean energy capacity to permanently replace carbon-emitting sources. Therefore, closing Diablo Canyon will reduce clean energy capacity, thereby increasing emissions.
Then there are the social and economic consequences. In 2012 Diablo Canyon was generating more than $30 million a year in local sales and property taxes. Continued operation could amount to hundreds of millions in continued in local tax revenue. The state has graciously offered some $80 million or so in compensation. Who will make up the difference? You guessed it … the local taxpayers. That means us. The closure of Diablo Canyon will also cost this community some 1,500 high-paying jobs and compel the relocation of a thousand or so families that have lived and worked in this community for decades.
As far as the nuclear waste, it appears that thanks to politics the existing waste is not going anywhere soon, so what’s a little more? And nuclear waste is also far easier to contain and manage than the waste wafting into the atmosphere and being pumped into the ground from fossil fuel production. And why worry about the long half-life of nuclear waste when our entire civilization is not likely to last to the end of the century if something is not done about climate change. So, the last thing we should be doing would be to make it worse. We need the continued operation of Diablo Canyon.
Mark Henry
San Luis Obispo
This article appears in Aug 25 – Sep 4, 2022.
“renewables serving 100 percent of in-state California power production in about 150 years.”
A lie.
California has already hit !00% renewable energy on the grid, albeit for a short time. Government estimates are that Cali will be 100% renewable by 2035. This will most certainly include Diablo, which, at that point, will be phased out. The Inflation Reduction Act gives $30 billion to aging nuclear reactors as the nation transitions to total renewables. 2035 and 2050 are key years for this transition. But, 150, no. Propaganda from the oil industry.
Unfortunately, this is all predicated on the fact that the Shoreline fault, which lies less than 100 meters away from the Diablo reactor, stays dormant, as it has done for over 90 years, despite being listed as an active fault along the larger San Andreas Fault by the scientists who study that stuff.
And, to say that we can just absorb a bunch more nuclear waste, stored in barrels on a site that is in the line of fire for a major earthquake on the San Andreas Fault, is the worst of folly. I pray that Mr. Henry is right that just “a little more” nuclear waste is just fine.