Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant In California Receives $1.1 Billion Lifeline

November 23, 2022 By Raulf Hernes

(Image Credit Google)

The threatened Diablo Canyon nuclear power station in California received a $1.1 billion lifeline from the Department of Energy. Diablo Canyon has emerged as a significant flashpoint in the debate over what constitutes "clean" energy and the dangers that governments are willing to accept in order to meet their climate change objectives. The $6 billion Civil Nuclear Credit program made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Congress passed last year is where the $1.1 billion in funding that was announced yesterday comes from. The first power plant to receive credits from the program, which aims to prolong the lives of reactors in danger of shutting down, is Diablo Canyon. The operating licences for the two nuclear reactors at Diablo Canyon are set to expire in 2024 and 2025, which calls for the sequential decommissioning of each plant. As nuclear energy struggled to compete with the low cost of solar, wind, and gas, they would have joined the 13 commercial reactors that have shut down across the US in the past decade or so. In 2016, environmental organizations and PG&E, the utility that runs Diablo Canyon, reached an agreement to shut down the plant in favor of expanding the use of renewable energy. [caption id="attachment_65097" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] nuclear plant

Image credit: energycentral[/caption] However, around 15% of California's energy, which is free of carbon dioxide pollution, still comes from Diablo Canyon. Half of the carbon-free electricity produced in the US comes from nuclear energy. Additionally, President Joe Biden and California Governor Gavin Newsom are hesitant to allow nuclear power plants to go out of business as the state and nation move forward with plans to run the grid on 100 percent clean energy. Particularly the Biden administration has made nuclear energy an important part of its plans to reduce US greenhouse gas emissions. When Newsom signed a bill in September allowing the plant to remain open until 2030, PG&E received a $1.4 billion loan from the state in addition to the DOE's $1.1 billion grant to Diablo Canyon. A strong heatwave was approaching the state when Newsom signed the legislation, nearly causing rolling blackouts due to grid stress. The danger served to support the arguments put forth by the plant's supporters, who view nuclear energy as a crucial energy source that can assist the US in achieving its climate goals by stepping in for renewables when inclement weather makes it difficult for solar and wind energy production.

By Raulf Hernes

If you ask me raulf means ALL ABOUT TECH!!

Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant In California Receives $1.1 Billion Lifeline

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