UPDATE August 24, 2022: Late last week, members of the California State Assembly circulated an alternative proposal for avoiding power outages that would avert the need for extending the life of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. The Climate Center strongly supports the majority of this proposal and recommends state leaders prioritize investment in clean, distributed energy to address the state’s electricity reliability and capacity concerns.
###
August 19, 2022 — Last week, Governor Newsom unveiled a $1.4 billion proposal to extend the life of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, located on California’s central coast. The plant was set to close in 2025, but under the new proposal would remain open until 2035 in an effort to avoid power outages. Keeping the plant open an additional ten years would be both risky and expensive.
In response, The Climate Center CEO Ellie Cohen said:
“California should invest in renewable, decentralized energy to keep the lights on — not throw public money at a dead-end nuclear plant. Maintaining the Diablo Canyon plant for another ten years would be a mistake. We have the opportunity to build a cleaner, safer, more affordable, and more reliable grid today through renewable energy and storage.
“California’s one million solar roofs and one million electric vehicles have enormous potential. They already have a combined capacity far greater than the state’s projected 5-gigawatt electricity shortfall, which led Governor Newsom to prioritize keeping Diablo Canyon open in the first place. Electric cars, trucks, and buses can be deployed as ‘batteries on wheels’ to keep critical facilities powered when the grid fails. Instead of keeping a dangerous, aging nuclear facility open, let’s invest our tax dollars in building the grid for the future.”
Yesterday, The Climate Center sent a letter to the Newsom administration, state legislators, and key regulatory offices outlining how investments in clean, decentralized energy and storage can improve electricity reliability. The letter urges California’s leaders to shift public dollars from the Diablo Canyon plant to clean, decentralized energy solutions like solar and storage.
ENDS
Contact: Ryan Schleeter, Communications Director, The Climate Center: ryan@theclimatecenter.org, (415) 342-2386
About The Climate Center:
The Climate Center is a climate and energy policy nonprofit working to rapidly reduce climate pollution at scale, starting in California. We are a think-tank, do-tank working to turn bold ideas into action for an equitable, climate-safe future. Our flagship Climate-Safe California campaign is a unique and comprehensive effort to make California the first state in the nation to reach carbon negative. www.theclimatecenter.org
