Senate Bill 931, coauthored by Laird and Assemblymember Dawn Addis, would restore some funding paid by PG&E to communities near Diablo Canyon, California’s only operating nuclear power plant. The payments were historically meant to compensate for the possible impacts of operating the plant nearby.
That revenue — often referred to as a “unitary tax” — lapsed because it was tied to the Diablo Canyon’s old decommissioning date of 2025, even though the state legislature ultimately decided to continue operations another five years.
SB 931 would extend the funding until the year 2030, when the nuclear power plant is currently scheduled to shut down.
Laird says if the state legislature proposes another bill to extend Diablo Canyon’s operations past that date, he will insist that funding is preserved.
“I will make sure that the unitary tax and other items are wrapped into that bill,” Laird told KCBX. “So in case it gets enacted, we will not be in this same position again for the further extension.”
The revenue from the unitary tax went to a variety of entities including San Luis Obispo County, local cities and public schools.
Last December, San Luis Coastal Unified School District cut more than $5 million from its budget. One reason cited by district officials was reduced funding from the unitary tax lapsing.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a federal agency, approved a license renewal for Diablo Canyon last week. The state legislature may now try to pass a bill to extend operations until 2045, matching the length of the license.
Disclosure: PG&E is a financial supporter of KCBX.
