Why California Is Reconsidering Its Decision to Shun Nuclear Power
The state is considering extending the life of its last nuclear power plant, Diablo Canyon, and allowing construction of new reactors to help meet its clean energy goals.
Established nuclear plants like Diablo Canyon in California tend to produce relatively affordable power. Credit...
Ivan Penn, who has covered nuclear energy for more than 15 years, reported from the Diablo Canyon Power Plant near San Luis Obispo, Calif.
The Diablo Canyon Power Plant, which sits on a cliff on California’s Central Coast, has been the subject of ceaseless protests and political battles since it was proposed in 1963.
Now, the plant is at the center of yet another major debate. After shuttering all the state’s other nuclear power plants in recent decades, California is considering extending Diablo’s life and lifting a moratorium on new reactors.
That these decisions are even on the table in California is a testament to the substantial change in public views of nuclear energy, which for decades has been reviled by the liberal lawmakers and environmental groups that wield tremendous power and influence in the state.
