<![CDATA[California Energy Journal: Nuclear]]>https://www.californiaenergytransition.com/s/nuclearhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9Kac!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5320955a-6683-4988-ace6-49352322dc6e_96x96.pngCalifornia Energy Journal: Nuclearhttps://www.californiaenergytransition.com/s/nuclearSubstackThu, 09 Apr 2026 08:52:19 GMT<![CDATA[NRC Approves Diablo Canyon License Extension to 2045, Shifting Decision to California Legislature]]>https://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/nrc-approves-diablo-canyon-licensehttps://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/nrc-approves-diablo-canyon-licenseMon, 06 Apr 2026 19:46:47 GMTThe U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved a 20-year operating license renewal for the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, authorizing operations for the two units until the mid-2040s. State law, however, currently limits operations to 2029 and 2030 unless the state legislature authorizes a further extension.

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The federal approval allows Unit 1 to operate until November 2, 2044 and Unit 2 to operate until August 26, 2045. The approval completes the federal licensing process initiated under 2022 legislation to extend operations beyond planned retirement dates. Currently, Unit 1 is authorized to stay open until 2029 and Unit 2 is authorized to stay open until 2030.

Federal Review Finds No New Environmental or Safety Impacts

The NRC’s environmental and safety reviews concluded that continued operations would not result in “new or significantly different environmental impacts” beyond those previously analyzed. The agency also determined that the plant can continue to operate safely under existing design parameters, including seismic conditions.

The renewal is based on continued operation of existing infrastructure rather than new development, reinforcing the agency’s conclusion that the extension represents a continuation of previously assessed activities rather than a material expansion.

Plant Received State Approvals Prior to Federal Action

The federal decision follows a series of state-level approvals required for relicensing. These included permits from the California Coastal Commission, the California Public Utilities Commission, and the State Lands Commission. In February 2026, the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board granted approval of a water quality permit, clearing the way for the NRC decision.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company submitted its license renewal application in November 2023, after SB 846 extended the life of the power plant’s two units by five years to 2029 and 2030.

Legislature Will Determine Long-Term Operations

Despite federal approval, California retains decisive authority over whether Diablo Canyon operates beyond 2030. The NRC controls reactor licensing and safety determinations, but state law governs whether the plant may continue operating under those licenses.

The approval could renew legislative debate over the role of nuclear power in achieving California’s statutory target of 100% clean electricity by 2045.

Diablo Canyon is California’s largest single source of electricity, supplying roughly 10% of total in-state generation and about 16% of zero-carbon power in 2024, according to data cited in the approval process.

Governor Gavin Newsom supported the NRC decision, stating it aligns with California’s clean energy and economic objectives. “Today, I welcome the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s approval as we continue California’s clean energy transition, creating good-paying jobs, fighting climate change and cementing the Golden State as a global powerhouse,” he said.

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]]><![CDATA[Coastal Commission Approves Diablo Canyon Extension Plan]]>https://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/coastal-commission-approves-diablohttps://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/coastal-commission-approves-diabloFri, 12 Dec 2025 23:30:20 GMTThe California Coastal Commission approved a plan to extend the life of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant by at least five years.

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The Commission voted 9-3 to approve Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E) request for a federal consistency certification and a state coastal development permit as part of a plan to place 4,000 acres of land into conservation.…

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]]><![CDATA[Coastal Commission Refuses Permits for Diablo Canyon without Additional Land Conservation]]>https://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/coastal-commission-refuses-permitshttps://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/coastal-commission-refuses-permitsMon, 10 Nov 2025 22:07:02 GMTThe California Coastal Commission declined Pacific Gas & Electric’s (PG&E) request for a federal consistency certification and a state coastal development permit, both of which are needed for a new 20-year operating license for the Diablo Canyon Power Plant.

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The Commission did not accept its staff recommendation to approve the requests at the November 6,…

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]]><![CDATA[Bill for Development of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors Introduced]]>https://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/bill-for-development-of-small-modularhttps://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/bill-for-development-of-small-modularThu, 30 Jan 2025 21:11:41 GMTAssemblymember Joaquin Arambula introduced a bill to promote the development of small modular nuclear reactors.

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AB 305 would exempt nuclear reactors with an electrical generating capacity of up to 300 megawatts per unit from California’s longstanding moratorium on new nuclear fission reactors.

The bill would also require the California Public Utilities Co…

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]]><![CDATA[Diablo Canyon $400 Million Loan Survives Budget Negotiations]]>https://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/diablo-canyon-400-million-loan-surviveshttps://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/diablo-canyon-400-million-loan-survivesWed, 26 Jun 2024 19:51:04 GMTThe California legislature approve budget legislation that includes a $400 million loan that Governor Gavin Newsom requested for the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. The legislature had initially refused the loan during budget negotiations, according to the Sacramento Bee, as lawmakers expressed concern that the plant’s owner, Pacific Gas & Electric (…

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]]><![CDATA[Appeals Court Dismisses Suit Challenging NRC on Diablo Canyon]]>https://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/appeals-court-dismisses-suit-challenginghttps://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/appeals-court-dismisses-suit-challengingFri, 03 May 2024 21:41:40 GMTOn April 29, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denied review of a petition from three environmental groups to review the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) decision to allow the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant to operate beyond planned closure dates. The San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace, Friends of the Earth filed the laws…

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]]><![CDATA[NRC Approves Diablo Canyon Application]]>https://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/nrc-approves-diablo-canyon-applicationhttps://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/nrc-approves-diablo-canyon-applicationWed, 20 Dec 2023 21:28:29 GMTThe federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission determined that Pacific Gas & Electric’s application to renew the operating licenses at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant was sufficient.

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The NRC determined the application contains sufficient information to begin its safety and environmental reviews. The determination of sufficiency allows PG&E to continue o…

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]]><![CDATA[CPUC Extends Diablo Canyon Operations Until 2030]]>https://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/cpuc-extends-diablo-canyon-operationshttps://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/cpuc-extends-diablo-canyon-operationsMon, 18 Dec 2023 16:00:56 GMTThe California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved a proposal on December 14, 2023 to extend the operation of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant for five years through 2030. The plant's two reactor units are extended from 2024 to 2029 and from 2025 to 2030. The decision reverses a 2016 agreement to close the plant in 2025.

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The 2,250 MW Diablo Canyon n…

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]]><![CDATA[PG&E Files Federal Relicensing Application to Extend Diablo Canyon]]>https://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/pg-and-e-files-federal-relicensinghttps://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/pg-and-e-files-federal-relicensingWed, 15 Nov 2023 20:17:52 GMTPacific Gas & Electric is looking to extend the operations of the Diablo Canyon power plant. The company filed its federal relicensing application with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on November 7, 2023. If granted, the license renewal would authorize continued operation for up to 20 years.

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The 2,250 MW Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, near Avi…

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]]><![CDATA[California Includes Fusion in Energy Policy Reports]]>https://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/california-includes-fusion-in-energyhttps://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/california-includes-fusion-in-energyThu, 19 Oct 2023 21:30:06 GMTGovernor Gavin Newsom signed into law AB 1172, which requires the California Energy Commission (CEC) to evaluate various fusion technologies and to analyze the feasibility of using nuclear fusion in the state as part of its 2027 integrated energy policy report (IEPR).

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This will require an assessment of the regulatory actions needed to develop and use fus…

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]]><![CDATA[NRC Rejects Request to Shut Down Diablo Canyon]]>https://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/nrc-rejects-request-to-shut-downhttps://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/nrc-rejects-request-to-shut-downFri, 06 Oct 2023 22:32:00 GMTThe Nuclear Regulatory Commission rejected a request to shut down a nuclear reactor at the 2,250 MW Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. The NRC, in an October 3, 2023 decision, took no action on the request from two environmental groups to shut down the Unit 1 reactor immediately. Friends of the Earth and Mothers for Peace filed a petition in September t…

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]]><![CDATA[Court Rejects Environmental Group Suit to Close Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant]]>https://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/court-rejects-environmental-grouphttps://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/court-rejects-environmental-groupMon, 28 Aug 2023 18:16:00 GMTA California judge rejected a lawsuit from an environmental group to prohibit PG&E from violating a 2016 agreement to close the nuclear power plant by 2025.

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In April, Friends of the Earth filed a suit in San Francisco Superior Court, asking the court for injunctive relief to prohibit PG&E from violating a 2016 agreement to close the nuclear power plant b…

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]]><![CDATA[Environmental Group Sues to Close Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant ]]>https://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/environmental-group-sues-to-closehttps://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/environmental-group-sues-to-closeThu, 13 Apr 2023 15:35:09 GMTAn environmental group is suing Pacific Gas & Electric to stop it from extending the federal operating licenses for the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. In a complaint filed in San Francisco Superior Court, Friends of the Earth asked the court for injunctive relief to prohibit PG&E from violating a 2016 agreement to close the nuclear power plant by 20…

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]]><![CDATA[Federal Regulator Extends License for Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant]]>https://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/federal-regulators-extend-licensehttps://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/federal-regulators-extend-licenseFri, 03 Mar 2023 21:22:34 GMTFederal regulators extended the license for the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant past its scheduled closing date in 2025 while the agency considers its license renewal application. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted Diablo Canyon an exemption from the requirements to submit a license renewal application as long as it submits a license renew…

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]]><![CDATA[PG&E to Receive $1.1 Billion to Keep Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Open]]>https://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/pg-and-e-to-receive-11-billion-tohttps://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/pg-and-e-to-receive-11-billion-toWed, 23 Nov 2022 23:09:00 GMTThe U.S. Department of Energy announced that the Diablo Canyon Power Plant will receive up to $1.1 billion in the first round of funding from the Civil Nuclear Credit (CNC) Program. Units 1 and 2 of the plant were scheduled to be decommissioned in 2024 and in 2025. The final terms of the grant will be negotiated, but the funds will be distributed from 2…

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]]><![CDATA[EIA: Nuclear Power Provided 10% of California’s Electricity in 2021]]>https://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/eia-nuclear-power-provided-10-ofhttps://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/eia-nuclear-power-provided-10-ofWed, 21 Sep 2022 15:26:37 GMTThe U.S. Energy Information Administration recently reported that about 10% of California’s electricity in 2021 came from three nuclear power plants. Diablo Canyon supplied more than 8% of California’s electricity in 2021 with the remaining nuclear power imported from the Palo Verde Generating Station in Arizona and the Columbia Generating Station in Wa…

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]]><![CDATA[California Keeps Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant Open]]>https://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/california-keeps-diablo-canyon-nuclearhttps://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/california-keeps-diablo-canyon-nuclearWed, 07 Sep 2022 19:17:05 GMTGovernor Gavin Newsom signed into law SB 846, which extends the life of the 2,250 MW Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant’s two units by five years to 2029 and 2030. The legislation also authorizes a forgivable $1.4 billion loan for plant owner Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and streamlines environmental reviews. The bill passed overwhelmingly in both the s…

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]]><![CDATA[Newsom Introduces Bill to Keep Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant Open]]>https://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/newsom-introduces-bill-to-keep-diablohttps://www.californiaenergytransition.com/p/newsom-introduces-bill-to-keep-diabloMon, 15 Aug 2022 14:38:45 GMTCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom presented draft legislation that includes an extension of the 2,250 MW Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant by 10 years to 2035. The extension would authorize a forgivable $1.4 billion loan for plant owner Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and streamline environmental reviews. The plant is the largest power source in California…

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