Lawmakers Extend Operations for California's Last Nuclear Power Plant, Diablo Canyon
This story was originally published September 1, 2022 by CalMatters.
At least two days of statewide Flex Alerts asking Californians to voluntarily conserve energy amid an extreme heat wave that could last more than a week, pushing temperatures 10 to 20 degrees above normal and endangering vulnerable communities. Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaiming a state of emergency to take last-ditch measures to keep people’s lights and air conditioners on and stave off potential rolling blackouts. And wildfires that prompted mandatory evacuations in Southern California, shut down stretches of I-5 and caused heat-related injuries in at least eight firefighters.
That was the backdrop for the final hours of the legislative session on Wednesday and into early today, when state lawmakers — after contentious, lengthy debates that at one point involved a discussion about the morality of electrons — approved Newsom's proposal to extend the lifespan of Diablo Canyon, California's last nuclear power plant, and to give PG&E a $1.4 billion loan to continue operating it. Legislators also greenlighted all but one bill in the governor's legislative package to significantly accelerate the state's response to climate change.
- The state Assembly shot down a proposal that would have called for California to slash its greenhouse gas emissions to 55% of 1990 levels by 2030, instead of the current 40% goal. A possible factor in its demise: The state isn't on track to reach the current target.
Nevertheless, the late-night votes marked a sizable victory for the governor, who has recently pushed to enact his policy agenda through legislation like never before.
But the real test — translating that ambitious climate vision into reality — starts now.
And things haven't necessarily gotten off to the most auspicious start: Newsom acknowledged the emergency order he signed Wednesday would actually increase emissions by temporarily allowing power plants to generate more energy, expanding the use of backup generators, permitting ships in California ports to burn more fuel and waiving certain air quality requirements. (The order also directs state air regulators to "mitigate emissions" resulting from the emergency measures.)
- Newsom said in livestreamed remarks: "One of the areas we wanted to advance" after the 2020 blackouts "was a de-risking strategy to create a larger buffer so that we’re not doing this on an annual basis. … Getting Diablo Canyon extended, just extending its life for a short period of time, will provide us the capacity … to stack all of these renewables, to get the battery storage, deal with the supply chain issues and move forward with our new strategies to fast-track (clean energy) projects."
But the devil — or, dare I say, the Diablo — is in the details. ("It probably doesn't help the fact that the freaking plant's name is Diablo, to add insult to injury here," said Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, a Coachella Democrat.)
Indeed, not all lawmakers were convinced the state actually has a game plan to achieve the ramped-up goals contained within the legislation passed Wednesday, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2045 and setting targets for removing carbon from the atmosphere with nature-based methods.
- Republican state Sen. Andreas Borgeas of Fresno: "We're creating policies, but we're disregarding the realities that we're still in."
- GOP state Sen. Brian Dahle of Bieber, who's running for governor against Newsom: "How long are we going to just continue to set targets with no good detail and just throw money at it and get no result?" Dahle also said he opposed extending Diablo Canyon's operations without more robust debate: "I think we need to spend the time" to discuss it more thoroughly rather than voting "at one o'clock in the morning on the last night of session to bail out Gavin Newsom's poor planning for this state."
Yet, while Republicans saw the severity of California's climate conditions as evidence that its current environmental strategy is flawed, Democrats saw it as evidence the state needs to do more faster.
- State Sen. Bob Wieckowski, a Fremont Democrat: "This is come to Jesus time in the state of California and in the world."
- State Sen. Henry Stern, a Calabasas Democrat: "We can wait, and let others race ahead in the innovation game. China can beat us to the punch and electrify and push hydrogen. We can wait on the rest of this country to act, or we can be Californians, and we can lead. I think this is that moment. I think we take that leadership mantle."
