![]() ![]() “He’s doing that at the cost of billions of dollars to California ratepayers in maintaining Diablo.”Ĭlimate & Environment Repowering the West Newsom “doesn’t want to see any reliability issues come up while he’s contemplating his future political plans,” Pica said. And the current plan for Diablo to begin shutting down in 2024 “is very conspicuously aligned with when the Democratic presidential primary is going to be,” Pica said. Although Newsom has insisted he won’t run for president in 2024, speculation continues to swirl that he’s preparing for a campaign. Pica suspects the governor is motivated at least in part by political aspirations. “This short-term extension is necessary if California is going to meet its ambitious clean-energy goals while continuing to deliver reliable power,” Feinstein said Monday.Įrich Pica, president of anti-nuclear environmental group Friends of the Earth, described that type of reaction to the federal funding as a “premature victory lap.” He noted that several state agencies still need to sign off on the nuclear plant’s continued operation, as spelled out in the legislation signed by Newsom. But she changed her mind this year, citing the urgency of the climate crisis and the need for round-the-clock sources of clean power to complement solar and wind. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) celebrated the announcement, saying in a written statement that the federal investment “will allow Diablo Canyon to continue producing carbon-free energy until 2030, giving the state the time it needs to bring additional renewable energy sources online and eventually replace the energy produced by the nuclear plant.”įeinstein had previously supported PG&E’s plan to shutter Diablo in 2025. The funds are designed to cover PG&E’s projected losses from keeping Diablo Canyon open longer, so if the company’s operating costs come in lower than expected - or its power-sales revenues are higher than expected - it won’t get quite as much federal money. Department of Energy say the money will be distributed over four years, from 2023 through 2026. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as well as maintenance, fuel purchases and additional on-site storage for radioactive waste needed to keep the plant running past 2025.įinal terms of the federal grant still need to be negotiated with PG&E. That state money is slated to help PG&E cover the costs of relicensing at the U.S. It should allow PG&E to pay back most of the $1.4-billion loan for Diablo that state lawmakers approved at Newsom’s urging. The $1.1 billion in federal money comes from the infrastructure law passed by Congress and signed by President Biden last year. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
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