The Diablo Canyon Power Plant just cleared a big hurdle in its ability to operate past 2030.
The nuclear power plant pulls in billions of gallons of water from the Pacific Ocean every day to cool the power plant, then it dumps all that sea water back into the ocean.
Because of that, PG&E, the utility that operates the plant, needed to get approval from the Central Coast Water Board.
That approval came on Thursday when the board met to certify that process.
Now, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a federal agency, is expected to give Diablo Canyon a license to operate until 2045. That’s 15 years longer than what state law has outlined in Senate Bill 846.
During public comment, marine biologist Audrey Ford asked the Central Coast Water Board to grant their approval on one condition: Diablo’s new license doesn’t extend past the state’s planned closure date.
“Please include as a condition of your approval an expiration date of 2030,” Ford said.
The water board declined to do that and voted to approve the certification unanimously.
PG&E representatives have said that state lawmakers will have the final say on when Diablo Canyon will close.
