California could scrap plans to shutter its sole remaining nuclear power plant as residents grapple with a renewable energy-induced energy crisis.
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California’s Energy Commission on Tuesday approved a plan to run the Diablo Canyon Power Plant through 2030, five years later than the nuclear plant was scheduled to close. While Democrats and environmentalists have long pushed to close the plant, Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D.) administration has changed course following a series of blackouts that swept the state this summer.
"As California confronts a rapidly changing climate, extraordinary heat events and record energy demand are becoming increasingly ordinary," commission vice chair Siva Gunda said in a statement. "The state needs to keep all options on the table to protect public health and safety."
The Newsom-appointed commissioners are the latest California officials to make the baseless claim that climate change has increased the frequency of extreme weather events in the state. California Democrats frequently repeated the talking point last summer, after a massive heat wave threatened rolling blackouts. California’s energy grid struggled to meet demand after years of Democratic leaders cracking down on fossil fuel use and boosting the grid’s reliance on wind and solar power.
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The commission’s vote does not guarantee that the plant will remain open, since the plant still needs a federal license to do so. Diablo next needs to secure approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to maintain operations. Diablo supplies nearly 10 percent of the state’s total electricity, and some 17 percent of its emissions-free energy.