SLO Reporter

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 Coast residents on the process and assessments that will be undertaken to certify the plant’s safety.

“Discussions about the future of energy production on the Central Coast must include Central Coast communities–and I appreciate Chairman Hanson for heeding my request for the NRC to give our region’s residents a chance to ask questions and hear how our federal regulators will ensure the safety of Diablo Canyon remains the top priority in the next phase of its lifespan,” said Congressman Carbajal. “I encourage each and every person interested in this topic to attend this forum--either in person or through the virtual options set up–to make sure everyone has a chance to understand the pathway ahead.”

Since the original proposed extension of Diablo Canyon’s lifespan last April, Rep. Carbajal has repeatedly stressed the importance of federal regulators, state agencies, and utility leaders engaging directly with Central Coast residents.

Carbajal previously helped push for a public forum held last August by the California Energy Commission, California Independent System Operator, and the office of California Governor Gavin Newsom to allow for similar community questions and public engagement.

The hybrid public forum will begin at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023.

The meeting will be held at the Board Chambers in the San Luis Obispo Government Building at 1055 Monterey Street in San Luis Obispo. The meeting can also be attended virtually via Microsoft Teams or by teleconference line. More information on the meeting can be found here.

In March, the NRC granted Pacific Gas and Electric, the utility that operates Diablo Canyon, an exemption that allows them to continue operations of the power plant as long as they submit an application for a new license by the end of this year.

In November, Carbajal and the Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), announced the conditional selection of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant to receive $1.1 billion from the Civil Nuclear Credit (CNC) Program – a program funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – to enable safe operations at the power plant until the first-in-the-West offshore wind projects are ready to take its place at the end of this decade.

Original source can be found here.