The California Public Utilities Commission last week approved $723 million in rate increases to let Pacific Gas & Electric Co. keep the state’s last nuclear power plant open through 2025, media reported.
The increases would cover operations of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant from Sept. 1, 2023 through Dec. 21, 2025. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted 4 to 1 to approve the increase in a public meeting held Dec. 19, according to the Los Angeles Times and other outlets.
Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E) still needs approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to keep Diablo Canyon open. The NRC is considering a 20-year license extension and staff have said they could finish their review of the utility’s license extension application by August 2025 or so.
The California commission so far has approved PG&E to keep the plant open for only five of the 20 years the utility could get tacked on to its federal.
PG&E’s operating licenses for Diablo Canyon Unit 1 expired on Nov. 2, but NRC has allowed the reactor to stay online while federal staff vet the utility’s license renewal application. Unit 2’s license will lapse on Aug. 26 2025.
Antinuclear activists have opposed Diablo Canyon’s license extension both in federal court and as part of the NRC’s ongoing review.
NEW: Via public records request, I’ve been able to confirm reporting today that a warrant has been issued for DOE deputy asst. secretary of spent fuel and waste disposition Sam Brinton for another luggage theft, this time at Las Vegas’s Harry Reid airport. (cc: @EMPublications)
DOE spent fuel lead Brinton accused of second luggage theft.
by @BenjaminSWeiss, confirming today's reports with warrant from Las Vegas Metro PD.
Waste has been Emplaced! 🚮
We have finally begun emplacing defense-related transuranic (TRU) waste in Panel 8 of #WIPP.
Read more about the waste emplacement here: https://wipp.energy.gov/wipp_news_20221123-2.asp
Editorial: Sam Brinton’s credibility is now an issue 🔓