Overview
- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the plant’s 20‑year license renewal Thursday, extending Unit 1 to 2044 and Unit 2 to 2045.
- California’s SB 846 only authorizes operations through 2030, so running the reactors beyond that date will require a new law.
- The federal sign‑off followed a multi‑agency path that included CPUC, State Lands and Coastal Commission approvals and a February 26 water‑discharge decision.
- Environmental groups have petitioned the State Water Resources Control Board to void the discharge permit, arguing the plant lacks required marine‑life protections under the Clean Water Act.
- Diablo Canyon supplies about 9–10% of California’s electricity and roughly one‑fifth of its zero‑carbon power, supports about 1,300 jobs, and has up to $1.1 billion in federal support pledged to help fund the extension.