Article Author:
Associated Press
Michael R. Blood
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aggressive push for renewable energy hits California's fears of keeping lights on I was. Utilities are considering whether to extend the useful life of the state's last operating nuclear power plant.
California, the birthplace of the modern environmental movement, has had a tenuous relationship with nuclear power for decades, and nuclear power does not cause carbon pollution like fossil fuels.
Today, environmentalists usually consider You find yourself in conflict with someone who is Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is a green energy advocate who backed his 2016 agreement calling for Diablo's Canyon nuclear power plant. It is expected to close by 2025, but is now a major voice considering longer operations.
Newsom is often mentioned as a potential presidential candidate and attorney for consumer advocacy groups. Consumer advocacy groups believe Electric has “national political ambitions” at work in power plant operator Pacific Gas & tariff lawsuit.
Diablo The impetus to keep his Canyon running "clearly comes from the governor's office," said Matthew Friedman of The Utility Reform Network. Newsom said, "We recognize that electrical system reliability issues may carry political liability, and we will take all possible action to avoid a possible power outage in California.
Newsom did note that a record heatwave in August 2020 caused a spike in air conditioning power usage, putting a strain on the grid. I would like to avoid repeating things that have caused an excessive burden. Two consecutive nights of rolling blackouts affected hundreds of thousands of residential and business customers.
In a statement, Newsom communications director Erin Mellon didn't address political issues, but said the governor's focus is on maintaining reliable energy for homes and businesses. He said he was accelerating the state's efforts to meet his aggressive goal of reducing carbon pollution. He continues to advocate closing Diablo Canyon in the "long term."
The debate over nuclear power plants arises because the long-struggling nuclear industry sees climate change as reason for optimism. President Joe Biden has embraced nuclear power as part of his strategy to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2005 levels.
Nuclear power supplies about one-fifth of the country's electricity since 2010, even though the nuclear industry has generated less electricity. Saving power plants in green energy-friendly California carries symbolic weight. But the window for making sudden turns looks narrow.
PG&E's CEO, Patricia "Patti" Poppe, told investors on a conference call last month that PG&E will have 9 to pave the way for reversing course. He said state legislation needs to be enacted by March. She said other measures, such as additional orders for reactor fuel and storage casks to house the spent fuel, which remains highly radioactive, would be necessary to keep the plants running, so utilities would He said he faced a "sense of urgency".
Extending the operating life of power plants is "not an easy option," Poppe said. "The permitting and relicensing of facilities is complex and there are many hurdles to overcome." produces 9% of the electricity for its approximately 40 million inhabitants. The state previously set aside up to $75 million to extend the operation of an old power plant that was slated to close, but whether taxpayers might shoulder some of the bills and if so. It's not yet clear how much it will cost to keep Diablo up and running.
The Newsom administration has pushed for clean energy expansion as the state aims to cut her emissions by 40% from her 1990 levels by 2030. Government officials say they warn reliability remains questionable as temperatures rise amid climate change.
The problem for Diablo Canyon is Whether the Newsom administration can work with investor-owned PG&E to find a way to reverse the 2016 closure agreement agreed by environmentalists. , factory workers unions and utilities. The decision to close the factory was also supported by California's utility regulator, Congress, and then-Democrat Governor Jerry Brown.
Nuclear workers now support keeping the reactors running, but anti-nuclear and environmental activists are rejoining the battle they thought was settled six years ago. there is
"It makes sense to keep Diablo open," said Mark D. Joseph, an attorney with the California Public Utility Workers' Coalition, which represents factory workers. ``Nobody wants to see California's carbon emissions go up.''
I am wondering if it is possible or even legal.
"I don't know how to unwrap it, and I don't think it should be unwound," said he, one of the groups that negotiated and signed the agreement, the Natural Resources Defense Council. said Ralph Cavanagh of
Another signatory, Friends of the Earth, will oppose any attempt to extend the operating life of nuclear reactors. "No terms have been changed to withdraw from that agreement," said Erich Pica, head of the group.
There are also concerns about the safety of aging plants. Construction of Diablo Canyon began in his 1960s, and critics argued that potential tremors from nearby seismic faults, which were not recognized when the design was first approved, could damage equipment and release radiation. said it could be done.
Breaking the agreement "puts a huge number of people at a very great risk. That's what's at issue here," said UC Santa Claus. Daniel Hirsch, former director of Cruz School's Environmental and Nuclear Policy Program and a longtime critic of the safety of nuclear power plants, said:
PG&E has long said the plant is earthquake safe, but has been less clear on whether it will push for extended operations beyond 2025. PG&E spokesperson Suzanne Hosn said in a statement that the factory would be demolished "unless these actions are superseded by new state policies."
PG&E applies for a share of $6 billion in federal funds set up by Biden administration to bail out nuclear plants at risk of closure I am considering. The utility announced the move after Newsom suggested a longer period of operation would help the state address potential power shortages in the future.
The Department of Energy recently revised regulations at the request of the Newsom administration that could pave the way for applications from Diablo Canyon. But some environmentalists question whether these changes conflict with the federal law that funded them.
As part of the closure agreement, the state granted her PG&E he a short-term lease of the marine water intake and drainage structures through 2025, which would also keep the plant operational. need to be extended for
A factor cited in the lease agreement is that the utility will not seek an extended operating license and that PG&E will use that period through 2025 to develop its portfolio of greenhouses. was expected to replace Diablo Canyon's power with gas-free renewable energy and efficiency.
PG&E said in a statement that to date it has met the requirements for a replacement power supply.
PG&E made the decision to close Diablo Canyon at a time of rapidly changing energy landscape.
As the Democratic Party of California prioritizes renewable energy to meet future power We predicted that demand would decline. There was even the risk of over-production.
State officials have warned that there could be power shortages this summer, not excess power. Global warming is driving demand for electricity, wildfires are burning down power lines, and long-term drought is reducing hydropower. New tariff disputes over products assembled in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia using Chinese parts and components are delaying solar and storage projects, government officials said.
However, environmentalists argue that nuclear power plants, which produce large amounts of electricity continuously, are not the solution to bridging the occasional gap, such as the setting of the sun after sunset. claims.
Reliable power "isn't a 24/7 issue," said Mr Cavanagh of NRDC. "I don't want to solve such a problem is a huge machine that he has to run 24/7 in order to be economical."
