California Gov. Gavin Newsom is considering delaying a long-planned closure of the Diablo Canyon nuclear facility, reflecting a broader attitudinal shift toward nuclear power as states scramble to secure clean energy options and protect against supply shortages.
Newsom said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times’s editorial board that he planned to file for federal funds under a new $6 billion Energy Department initiative aimed at keeping open active commercial nuclear facilities in the United States.
The $6 billion allocation is the largest-ever federal investment aimed at saving aging U.S. commercial nuclear reactors, the owners of which have struggled to foot the bill for high maintenance costs and compete with lower-priced natural gas alternatives.
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“The requirement is by May 19 to submit an application, or you miss the opportunity to draw down any federal funds if you want to extend the life of that plant,” Newsom said, adding that state officials could later decide to pursue keeping the facility open.
Still, he said, “we would be remiss not to put that on the table as an option.”
Diablo Canyon is California’s largest source of electricity, generating 6% of the state’s power last year, but its operators decided years ago to shut the facility down rather than foot the bill for costly environmental and earthquake safety upgrades.
A spokesman for Newsom later clarified that he does want to see the facility shut down in the long term. But Newsom said in the interview that he supports reliable electricity and noted that he has been pressed by a growing number of activists, including former U.S. energy officials, to keep Diablo Canyon open. “Some would say it’s the righteous and right climate decision,” Newsom added.
Diablo is among seven active U.S. nuclear facilities that are to be shut down by 2025, according to the Department of Energy. Remaining nuclear plants are also vulnerable, the department found, with at least one-quarter of active plants in the U.S. considered “at risk.”
But opinions on nuclear in the U.S. have been trending more positive: According to a recent UC Berkeley-Los Angeles Times poll, a 44% plurality of voters said they support building additional reactors in California.
Nuclear plants are the largest source of zero-emissions electricity in the country, generating a whopping 19% of U.S. power last year alone, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. For context, that’s nearly as much as solar panels, wind turbines, hydropower dams, and all other sources of renewable energy combined.
There are currently 55 active commercial nuclear plants in the U.S., with 93 total reactors, and keeping these remaining plants open and operational is critical if the Biden administration hopes to deliver on its goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“U.S. nuclear power plants contribute more than half of our carbon-free electricity, and President Biden is committed to keeping these plants active to reach our clean energy goals,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said in a statement earlier this month announcing the $6 billion effort.
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“We’re using every tool available to get this country powered by clean energy by 2035, and that includes prioritizing our existing nuclear fleet to allow for continued emissions-free electricity generation and economic stability for the communities leading this important work,” she added.
