The Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant is located in California and it’s the state’s last operating nuclear facility which has been operating since 1985. In 2021, the power plant supplied over 8% of the state’s electricity and produced 64% of all its nuclear power. However, as California moves away from nuclear energy, the plant is now scheduled to close in 2025.
The Biden administration is pumping in over a billion dollars to keep the plant open. The Department of Energy says it’s a step toward ensuring nuclear energy continues to provide reliable power as the nation’s largest source of clean electricity.
Critics of the nuclear plant say it’s hazardous given California’s vulnerability to earthquakes and the methods of disposing radioactive waste. But shutting down the plant would take out California’s largest source of carbon-free energy in a state that’s already pledged carbon neutrality by 2045 while grappling with recent energy shortages.
The billion dollar funding to keep the Diablo Canyon plant open comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that President Biden signed last year. While the law does not guarantee the plant will remain open, the energy department says it creates a path forward for negotiations.