State bill passes to extend operations at Diablo Canyon Power Plant
Author: Administrative Office
Date: 9/1/2022 12:35 PM
SLO County continues to represent community interests in all scenarios.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – The California state legislature has passed Senate Bill 846, co-authored by Senator Bill Dodd and Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham. The legislation seeks to extend operations at Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) up to 2030.
The County of San Luis Obispo has been actively engaged in the state legislative process regarding the future of DCPP. As the host community for the plant, the County continues to work with federal, state, and local partners to plan for the future of DCPP. The plant plays a significant role in the County’s economy and community, and the County is working to ensure the community’s interests are represented in the safety, environmental, and other regulatory processes and decisions that lie ahead.
Safety
The safety of the community remains the County’s top priority. The County Office of Emergency Services strives to not only meet but exceed federal regulations by continually assessing and improving upon current plans and capabilities to ensure the highest standard of emergency response for the community.
Decommissioning process
The County continues to plan for DCPP’s eventual decommissioning and is evaluating how the legislation affects the timing of the permitting process for decommissioning. The County is the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the decommissioning of DCPP.
Community impact mitigation funds
SB 846 would not affect the community impact mitigation funds that the County receives through SB 1090 and the settlement agreement between the County, PG&E, city governments, San Luis Coastal Unified School District, and others.
Land conservation and reuse
The County remains focused on how the DCPP site can strengthen and diversify our economy and provide high-wage job opportunities today and in the future. The County continues to support concepts that would repurpose DCPP’s facilities, infrastructure, and remediated site in ways that meet the community’s needs. In May 2022, the Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to sign onto a community vision of a cleantech innovation park at the site. Furthermore, the County remains engaged in the efforts to identify and plan for the conservation of 12,000 acres of land surrounding the site.
SB 846 provides for a $160 million Land Conservation and Economic Development Plan, to be developed by the state Natural Resources Agency. The County looks forward to engaging with state and local partners on the development and implementation of this plan in support of community priorities for the site.
Links for more information
More information about the County’s work to prepare for a nuclear incident is available here: Nuclear Incidents - San Luis Obispo County (prepareslo.org.
More information about the County’s role in decommissioning can be found here: Diablo Canyon Power Plant Decommissioning - County of San Luis Obispo.
More information about the open letter advancing a cleantech innovation park at the DCPP site can be found here: A Vision for Diablo Canyon's Next Chapter » REACH (reachcentralcoast.org).
A PDF copy of this press release can also be found here.
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