Why Did California Decide to Keep Operating Diablo Canyon?
Clip: Season 5 Episode 5 | 1m 23sVideo has Closed Captions
Diablo Canyon is still operating to meet clean energy goals while keeping the power on.
It was announced that the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant would be closing in 2016. But climate change brought new pressures to California's grid that forced the state to reconsider. Californians ended up without power during extreme heat. In order to meet clean energy goals and to keep essential power flowing in the face of such events, the decision was reversed until at least 2030.
Earth Focus is a local public television program presented by PBS SoCal
Why Did California Decide to Keep Operating Diablo Canyon?
Clip: Season 5 Episode 5 | 1m 23sVideo has Closed Captions
It was announced that the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant would be closing in 2016. But climate change brought new pressures to California's grid that forced the state to reconsider. Californians ended up without power during extreme heat. In order to meet clean energy goals and to keep essential power flowing in the face of such events, the decision was reversed until at least 2030.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipAfter a decades long fight to shut down California's last nuclear plant, it was a climate concern that reignited the conversation around its operation.
In 2020, climate change hit California's energy grid in a big way.
Fires downed transmission lines, low water levels threatened hydropower production and high temperatures saw air conditioning skyrocket.
As a result, the state's energy grid was pushed to the max.
It got so bad.
State authorities urged Californians to drastically reduce their energy use in the face of rolling blackouts.
It became clear that California's goal of having 100% clean energy by 2045 was not happening as fast as it needed to.
In order to hit that goal, the state would need to triple its renewable energy sources, a feat that could take decades.
Facing this reality, Governor Newsom and others began to look at Diablo Canyon with new eyes.
Instead of seeing the plan as a barrier to a renewable energy future.
They now saw the plan as a key tool for getting us there.
And in 2022, the governor proposed loaning PG&E the money to continue operating.
The measure was approved in late 2023, ensuring Diablo would stay open until 2030 at least.
Decades Against Diablo with Mothers for Peace
Video has Closed Captions
Mothers for Peace have been protesting the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant since 1973. (3m 35s)
Diablo Canyon: California's Last Nuclear Power Plant (Preview)
Video has Closed Captions
Diablo Canyon ignites conversations about nuclear power in the state’s energy future. (30s)
A History of Division Over Nuclear Power at Diablo Canyon
Critics have been calling for the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant's closure for decades. (1m 34s)
How Diablo Canyon Fits into California's Energy Mix
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Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant is seen as a key player in California's energy mix. (2m 41s)
Mothers for Nuclear's Fight at Diablo Canyon
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Mothers for Nuclear hopes to change people’s minds about nuclear energy in California. (3m 52s)
YTT Tribe Reclaims Diablo Canyon’s Nuclear Land
Video has Closed Captions
The Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant sits on the YTT Tribe's ancestral homelands. (12m)
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship
Earth Focus is a local public television program presented by PBS SoCal