Diablo Canyon 1 & 2

Basic Facts:

  • Location: Avila Beach, California
  • Owner: PG&E Corporation
  • Operator: Pacific Gas & Electric Company
  • Construction Cost: $14B (2018$)
  • Plant Output: 2,250 MW
  • Property Size: 1,000 acres
  • Scheduled Shut Down: Unit 1 (2024) and Unit 2 (2025)
  • Employees: 1,300
  • Current DTF Balance: $2.9B (2018$)
  • DTF Balance Prior to Decommissioning: $4.5B (2018$)
  • Decommissioning Cost Estimate: $1.0B (2018$)
  • Spent Nuclear Fuel On Site: 1,388 tons
(FILES) This file photo taken on March 17, 2011 shows an aerial view of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant which sits on the edge of the Pacific Ocean at Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County, California.
Under a proposal announced on June 21, 2016 by Pacific Gas and Electric, the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, the states last operating nuclear facility, would be shuttered by PG&E after its current Nuclear Regulatory Commission operating licenses expire in November 2024 and August 2025. The power produced by Diablo Canyons two nuclear reactors would be replaced with investment in a greenhouse-gas-free portfolio of energy efficiency, renewables and energy storage, PG&E said in a statement. The power output loss would be compensated by using technologies that do not emit greenhouse gases, including renewable energy. 
 / AFP PHOTO / MARK RALSTONMARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

Background

Diablo Canyon 1 and 2 are both pressurized water reactors coming online in 1985 and 1986 respectively. In 2016, PG&E announced that the operating licenses would not be renewed when they expire in 2024 (for Unit 1) and in 2025 (for Unit 2). Additional information on Diablo Canyon’s decommissioning planning efforts may be found here.

Socioeconomics

Diablo Canyon is located within San Luis Obispo County, California. As of 2016:

  • Population: 280,000
  • Per Capita Annual Income: $51,400
  • Unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted): 3.6%

Annual tax payments (approximately $15M) from Diablo Canyon account for approximately 6% of the county’s annual budget.

Contact Information

Economic Development Administration Representative:

  • Wilfred Marshall, Los Angeles Regional Office, t: (310) 348-5386, e: [email protected]

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Unless specific costing information has been provided, decommissioning costs were derived from 2017 Decommissioning Funding Status Report.
Information herein obtained from public sources. Corrections are welcome and may be directed to [email protected].

Additional Information

High-ranking federal officials explain safety, next steps in Diablo Canyon relicensing

May 4, 2023

High-ranking federal officials explain safety, next steps in Diablo Canyon relicensingThe Nuclear Regulatory Commission hosted a public meeting on Wednesday night to hear concerns and explain the re-licensing process for the Diablo Canyon Power Plant. Community members got to hear directly from high-ranking federal officials as PG&E moves forward with plans to keep Diablo Canyon […]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ACCEPTS REP. CARBAJAL INVITATION TO HOST PUBLIC FORUM ON FUTURE OF DIABLO CANYON POWER PLANT

April 27, 2023

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Accepts Rep. Carbajal Invitation to Host Public Forum on Future of Diablo Canyon Power Plant The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will host a public forum next month on the license renewal process for Diablo Canyon Power Plant, agreeing to an invitation from Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24) to answer questions directly from Central […]

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NRC to hear arguments against Diablo Canyon ISFSI license renewal

April 27, 2023

NRC to hear arguments against Diablo Canyon ISFSI license renewal The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced that an agency licensing board will hold oral arguments in a challenge to Pacific Gas and Electric’s application to renew its license for the Diablo Canyon independent spent fuel storage installation in California.

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NRC board to hear enviros’ case for forcing Diablo Canyon shut down

April 24, 2023

NRC board to hear enviros’ case for forcing Diablo Canyon shut down – ExchangeMonitor A Nuclear Regulatory Commission board in May plans to decide whether a citizen’s group can contest a utility’s plan to keep California’s last nuclear power plant running longer than planned, the commission said Monday.

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Lawsuit Seeks to Uphold Closing California’s Last Nuke Plant

April 12, 2023

Lawsuit Seeks to Uphold Closing California’s Last Nuke Plant LOS ANGELES (AP) – An environmental group on Tuesday sued to block Pacific Gas & Electric from seeking to extend the federal operating licenses for California’s last nuclear power plant.

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PG&E faces time crunch on Diablo Canyon license renewal as California weighs nuclear plant’s future

March 27, 2023

PG&E faces time crunch on Diablo Canyon license renewal as California weighs nuclear plant’s future Listen to the article None min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Pacific Gas & Electric’s plan to apply for a 20-year license renewal for the 2.2-GW Diablo Canyon nuclear plant at the end […]

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Bid to keep California reactors running faces time squeeze

February 15, 2023

Bid to keep California reactors running faces time squeeze LOS ANGELES – A late-hour attempt to extend the life of California’s last nuclear power plant has run into a predicament that will be difficult to resolve: a shortage of time. A state analysis Monday predicted it will take federal regulators until late 2026 to act […]

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What’s next for California’s last nuclear plant?

February 13, 2023

What’s next for California’s last nuclear plant? Sara Rubin here, flipping the light switch and considering the remarkable infrastructure it takes to immediately power on. It’s something that is easy to forget about, but the power grid, bringing electricity all the way from power plants to my kitchen, is truly a marvel of engineering.

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Regulators nix proposal to delay closure of California’s last nuclear plant

January 27, 2023

Regulators nix proposal to delay closure of California’s last nuclear plant In pointed language, federal regulators rebuffed a request Tuesday from Pacific Gas & Electric Co. that could have smoothed its pathway to securing a longer operating life for the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. The decision marks the latest skirmish in a long-running fight […]

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How Diablo Canyon’s likely delayed decommissioning will be extremely costly and comes with risks

November 29, 2022

How Diablo Canyon’s likely delayed decommissioning will be extremely costly and comes with risks The state is working to extend the life of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in San Luis Obispo County. But, it will eventually close and then comes decommissioning – a process many may be surprised to learn can take decades […]

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