Fate of California’s last nuclear power plant revealed as millions of residents’ energy needs hang in balance

Regulators approved a multi-decade extension of operations at California’s last remaining nuclear power plant after it was set to close by 2030 under pressure from environmentalists.

On Thursday, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved an application for the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo Bay to operate until 2045.

The plant, which is a source of green energy, provides about 8.5% of California’s power.

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A decade ago, operator PG&E announced that the facility would shutter in 2024 before a California Senate bill passed in 2022 moved the deadline to 2030.

The extension ensures that the location will continue to provide clean electricity to around 4 million Californians.

It also makes up nearly 20% of the state’s clean energy and 10% of the state’s total electricity, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office.

Any closure of the plant likely would’ve strained the state’s energy supplies even further and in turn raised the cost of energy. California residents already pay some of the highest utility and gas costs in the nation.

Newsom, who realized the plant was needed to avoid devastating blackouts in the state, celebrated the extension of the plant’s operations.

“When the Legislature and I partnered to extend Diablo Canyon’s operation past 2025, we made a commitment to Californians that tackling extreme weather and supporting a reliable grid are essential to building a safe, affordable, and resilient future for our state,” he said in a release on Thursday.

The California state legislature still needs to approve the 2045 extension.