When California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently issued an eleventh-hour proposal to extend the life of the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant through 2035, he did so despite years of intense opposition from environmental groups, anti-nuclear advocates, and even fellow Democrats — some of whom blasted the move as an “outrage.”

In fairness, the mid-August proposed extension of the coastal central California facility did represent a partial about-face from Newsom, who as lieutenant governor had thrown his weight behind the push to close California’s last remaining nuclear plant, an effort that first gained traction in 2016 and was unilaterally approved by state regulators just two years later.