Facility Would Continue Serving as
a Reliable, Low-Cost, Largest Carbon-Free Energy Source for
Californians
AVILA
BEACH, Calif., Nov. 7, 2023
/PRNewswire/ -- In line with state law and the Governor's direction
to ensure electrical reliability across California, Pacific Gas and Electric Company
(PG&E) today filed a License Renewal Application with the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) seeking to extend operations at
its Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP). The facility is the state's
largest power plant and producer of clean energy, generating enough
carbon-free electricity to meet the needs of three million
people.
"PG&E is committed to answering the state's call to ensure
the continued operation of the facility and safely deliver
affordable, reliable and clean energy for California," PG&E Corporation Chief
Executive Officer Patti Poppe
said. "Diablo Canyon is a treasure and tremendous resource for the
state, as well as one of the safest operated nuclear power plants
in the nation. We are pleased policy makers see the value of DCPP.
It would be a great honor to continue serving California for as long as the state supports
the operation of the facility," Poppe added.
In Sept. of last year, Governor Gavin
Newsom pushed to keep Diablo Canyon open and signed Senate
Bill No. 846 (Dodd) into law, which directed PG&E to pursue the
extended operations of the massive energy facility, located near
Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County, to 2030. Governor
Newsom and lawmakers took this step to ensure statewide electrical
reliability and combat climate change as California continues toward its clean energy
future. The current operating licenses for Units 1 and 2 would
otherwise expire in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
"Diablo Canyon Power Plant is safely generating clean
electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year,
rain or shine. We have a dedicated workforce that is committed to
operating DCPP with integrity and safety at the forefront. We're
all excited for the opportunity to continue serving the state and
help power California's clean
energy future," Diablo Canyon Senior Vice President and Chief
Nuclear Officer Paula Gerfen
said.
In compliance with federal regulations, PG&E's license
renewal application includes general, environmental, and technical
information about DCPP. Once the NRC determines whether the
application is sufficient for its review, a multi-year evaluation
process will begin, which includes ample opportunities for public
feedback and involvement. Under federal regulation, DCPP will
continue to operate until the NRC has taken final action on
PG&E's application.
Rigorous Safety Oversight
PG&E is committed to the highest levels of safety,
performance, and security at DCPP. The plant has an excellent safe
operating record and is subject to rigorous regulatory oversight,
including with respect to seismic safety.
All plant operations are overseen and monitored by the
NRC. The federal oversight agency assesses DCPP safety
regularly, including two inspectors who work on-site and spend an
average of 3,500 hours on inspections each year. The NRC's current
annual assessment places DCPP among the highest performing plants
in the nation and continues to find the facility is operating
safely and meeting industry-established safety and performance
objectives.
About DCPP
DCPP is the state's largest source of clean energy and generates
2,200 megawatts of baseline electricity, providing approximately
17% of California's zero-carbon
electricity supply and 8.6% of the state's total electricity
supply.
It employs nearly 1,300 employees and is one of the largest
private employers in San Luis Obispo
County, located in California's Central Coast region. On
average, PG&E and its employees provide hundreds of thousands
of dollars in programmatic grants and charitable donations every
year within San Luis Obispo and
Santa Barbara counties. PG&E
employees also volunteer thousands of hours of personal time each
year to after-school athletic programs, environmental
organizations, churches, and other community organizations.
Learn More
To learn more about DCPP and PG&E's commitment to safety,
click here.
More information about the license renewal process can be found
at the NRC's website: Reactor License Renewal | NRC.gov
Media Material
B-roll and pictures of DCPP, and soundbites from DCPP Vice
President of Nuclear Generation Maureen
Zawalick can be found here.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric
utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square
miles in Northern and Central
California. For more information, visit
www.pge.com/ and http://www.pge.com/about/newsroom/.
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SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company