IN THE NEWS
Diablo Canyon Power Plant Gets Clean Bill of Health as Council Advocates for Extension
Bay Area Council | September 30, 2026
By the Bay Area Council
Diablo Canyon Power Plant, which supplies 9% of California’s electricity or enough to power about 3.5 million homes, recently got a clean bill of health from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. That’s good news as the Bay Area Council continues to lead a statewide coalition focused on passing legislation to extend the life of the power plant to 2045.
As California pursues its aggressive goals of reducing dependence on fossil fuels, Diablo Canyon provides an important source of carbon-free energy that helps maintain grid reliability to ensure lights stay on and avoids upward pressure on already expensive electricity in the state. Diablo Canyon accounts for 17% of California’s carbon-free electricity. The NRC earlier this year approved a 20-year extension of Diablo Canyon’s operating license to 2045 and an analysis from MIT released in March estimated failure to extend plant operations beyond 2030 would increase energy costs by up to $1.3 billion per year.
Sharks love nuclear power — and so should you
Mustang News | September 29, 2026
By Emily Niebuhr
When people think of nuclear power, they often imagine the white sky of nuclear winter and fallout shelters. Since the Cold War, politicians have demonized nuclear energy while the media has mythologized it with works like “Oppenheimer” and “Chernobyl.”
The Cold War ended in 1991, but fearful attitudes toward nuclear power still shape energy policy in our own community.
Diablo Canyon Power Plant has acted as a point of conflict in San Luis Obispo for decades. Many public concerns stem from misconceptions about the plant’s safety and environmental impacts.
Education about nuclear power is important so we — the next generation of environmental stewards — can make informed decisions about how we want to meet the ever-increasing energy demands for a growing population, data centers and global trade.
U.S. Undersecretary of Energy visits Diablo Canyon Power Plant
KSBY | September 29, 2026
By Marcos Portera-Bordelon
A representative from the U.S. Department of Energy visited Diablo Canyon Power Plant on Tuesday.
The power plant was scheduled to shut down by 2025. However, in 2022, amid concerns over the state's growing electricity demands, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 846, allowing the plant to continue operating until 2030.
PG&E received $271 million from the federal government to help keep the plant online.
"Last year, the president signed four executive orders to really unleash nuclear, and this is one of many examples: the Civil Nuclear Credit Program," said Kyle Haustveit, Undersecretary of Energy. "We're investing $271 million into Diablo. We're doing that to make sure this plant stays online."
U.S. nuclear agency OKs Diablo Canyon safety report. What to know
The San Luis Obispo Tribune | September 25, 2026
By Stephanie Zappelli
A recent test conducted by PG&E and its contractor shows that materials in Unit 1 at the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant are unlikely to deteriorate and break during the next 60 years — and those test results support the safe operation of the plant, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced on Thursday.
The power plant, nestled into seaside hills near Avila Beach, has two nuclear reactors that generate about 18,000 gigawatt-hours of energy per year — enough to serve 4 million Californians, according to PG&E.
Why California Is Reconsidering Its Decision to Shun Nuclear Power
The New York Times | September 9, 2026
By Ivan Penn
The Diablo Canyon Power Plant, which sits on a cliff on California’s Central Coast, has been the subject of ceaseless protests and political battles since it was proposed in 1963.
Now, the plant is at the center of yet another major debate. After shuttering all the state’s other nuclear power plants in recent decades, California is considering extending Diablo’s life and lifting a moratorium on new reactors.
That these decisions are even on the table in California is a testament to the substantial change in public views of nuclear energy, which for decades has been reviled by the liberal lawmakers and environmental groups that wield tremendous power and influence in the state.
Opinion | Diablo Canyon is emissions-free, reliable — and can lower energy costs if we do it right
Capitol Weekly | August 19, 2026
By Ashley Arax, Senior California Policy Manager at Clean Air Task Force
California is weighing an important decision about the future of Diablo Canyon. A recent independent analysis by Massachusetts Institute of Technology suggests that operating the plant through 2045 could save billions of dollars in electricity system costs.
California has set some of the world’s most ambitious climate and clean energy goals. Achieving them while maintaining a reliable, resilient and affordable electric grid has become one of the state’s defining energy challenges, as meeting them will require building enormous amounts of new clean energy infrastructure over the coming decades.
Letter to the editor
Los Angeles Times | August 18, 2026
By Najmedin Meshkati, chair of the Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee
Kudos to Hayley Smith and the Los Angeles Times for an informative and balanced account of Diablo Canyon’s future. One unique element went unmentioned: the Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee, or the DCISC, of which I am a member (the views expressed here are my own and not on behalf of the committee).
The committee’s three members are rigorously vetted by the California Public Utilities Commission, then appointed by the governor, the attorney general or the chair of the California Energy Commission, and serve staggered three-year terms. Under its restated charter, the DCISC reviews plant operations and recommends measures for safe operation.
Opinion | Newsom kicks the can on Diablo Canyon. Ratepayers get the bill
The San Luis Obispo Tribune | August 16, 2026
By Devon J. Mathis, CEO of Azimuth PR and former California State Assemblymember
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to leave the future of Diablo Canyon beyond 2030 to California’s next governor. There’s just one problem with kicking that can down the road: You don’t get to kick the power bill with it.
For more than a decade, I have argued that California cannot demand more electricity, eliminate dependable sources of generation and then act surprised when reliability suffers and costs climb.
I made that argument while serving in the Legislature, when supporting nuclear energy wasn’t exactly fashionable in Sacramento. I made it when California planned to close Diablo Canyon. And I authored legislation to open California to the next generation of nuclear technology.
Spain extends Almaraz nuclear plant operations to 2030, delaying closure by three years
Euro News | August 14, 2026
By Maria Muñoz Morillo
The Spanish Government announced on Friday the extension of the operating life of the Almaraz nuclear power plant until 8 June 2030, thereby acceding to the request made last autumn by the companies that own the facility.
The decision, which means postponing by three years the planned shutdown of the plant's two reactors in the Extremadura region, has been published in the Official State Gazette through a ministerial order from the Ministry for Ecological Transition.
Almaraz is the nuclear power plant that has generated the most electricity in Spain's history and currently provides around 7% of national electricity production.
PRESS RELEASE:
Diablo Canyon 2045 Coalition Remains Optimistic that California Lawmakers Will Deliver on Affordability
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, August 10, 2026
Today, the Diablo Canyon 2045 Coalition put out the following statement in response to Governor Newsom's comments that Diablo Canyon's future "will be the determination of the next administration" at a press conference on Friday, August 7:
"California's lawmakers have been focused on making progress on affordability this year as their constituents face rising costs and continue to get squeezed out. Extending operations at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant to 2045 is a clear-cut way to deliver on that promise. If they passed the extension this year, it would avoid costly and unnecessary fallback energy procurements and save up to $1.3 billion in the first year, according to MIT, and every year it's operating after that. Regardless of the Governor's comment, there is still time for the legislature to uphold their commitment to affordability this session."
SLO County officials push state to keep Diablo Canyon open longer. Here’s why
The San Luis Obispo Tribune | August 6, 2026
By Stephanie Zappelli
A coalition of local elected officials urged the state Legislature to give PG&E permission to operate the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant until 2045 by the end of the year’s legislative session.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued PG&E an operating license for the plant that expires in 2044 for Unit 1 and 2045 for Unit 2. However, the state only approved operation of the plant through 2029 and 2030. The state Legislature would need to pass a law to extend operations beyond 2030 in order for PG&E to use the entirety of its license.
That’s exactly what these 54 local officials asked for in an open letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom, Senate pro Tempore Monique Limón and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas on Wednesday.
Guest Commentary | Don’t throw Diablo Canyon into the sea
The Santa Cruz Sentinel | August 5, 2026
By Cristina Talacko and Jeffrey Donovan, GLOW Strategies
Take $30 billion. Carry it to the edge of the continent. Throw it in the Pacific. Then spend decades paying to replace what it did.
That’s the plan for Diablo Canyon if it closes in 2030. Building a plant like it today costs about $30 billion. Georgia just did it. California already owns one. It’s built, it’s licensed, it runs day and night. The question is whether the state throws it away.
Last week San Luis Obispo heard the evidence, at the county’s public session on the plant’s future. Presentation after presentation made the same point: Diablo Canyon matters, to this county and to California’s jobs, grid, bills and climate goals.
PRESS RELEASE:
Open Letter: Dozens of Local Elected Officials Urge California Legislators to Extend Operations at Diablo Canyon this Legislative Session
54 local elected officials throughout California, and particularly from the Central Coast, have signed on to an open letter calling for lawmakers to pass a bill to extend Diablo Canyon Power Plant this year. Diablo Canyon, the only operating nuclear power plant in California, is set to shut down operations in 2030 unless state lawmakers step in.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Coalition of local officials pushes Sacramento to extend nuclear power plant operations
Politico Pro | August 4, 2026
By Noah Baustin
A coalition of local officials wants California Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leadership to move quickly to extend the state's sole nuclear power plant.
What happened: On Tuesday, 54 local elected officials sent an open letter, shared exclusively with POLITICO, to Newsom, Senate pro Tempore Monique Limón and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas encouraging the trio to act within the final month of the legislative session to extend operations at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant.
Why it matters: The letter signals that the coalition of business associations, labor groups and elected officials pushing to extend Diablo Canyon’s operation beyond its current sunset date in 2030 still sees a window of opportunity to get a bill passed this session.
Supervisors made right choice
The San Luis Obispo Tribune | August 2, 2026
By Hari Rajah, President, Nuclear is Clean Energy Club, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Chapter
In his July 24 op-ed, “SLO supervisor: I was the lone vote against joining Diablo 2045 Coalition,” San Luis Obispo Supervisor Bruce Gibson highlights concerns about continued Diablo Canyon operations.
Diablo Canyon has been deemed safe by all necessary state and federal regulators, including the California Public Utility Commission-created Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee. The plant meets every standard placed on seismic readiness, reactor longevity and environmental integrity. The plant supplies “always on” carbon-free energy to over 4 million Californians.
Diablo Canyon is crucial to grid reliability and affordability. An independent MIT analysis confirms that extending the plant will save ratepayers up to $1.3 billion annually, consistent with previous state estimates.
Supervisors should advocate for Diablo
The San Luis Obispo Tribune | July 5, 2026
By Jennifer Klay, Mothers for Nuclear
The Tribune is right that SLO County should fight for its fair share if Diablo Canyon operates beyond 2030. But that is precisely why the Board of Supervisors should be at the table, not standing outside with a whistle.
Calling support for Diablo Canyon “cheerleading” dismisses what is at stake for this county. Diablo is one of our largest employers, a source of reliable low-emission electricity and the reason thousands of acres of coastal land have remained protected from the kind of development The Tribune itself has criticized. Its continued operation is not a favor to PG&E; it is a question of jobs, grid reliability, climate goals and local revenue.
San Luis Obispo Healthiest Decades Happened with Diablo Canyon Operating
The Santa Barbara Independent | July 1, 2026
By Heather Hoff and Guido Núñez-Mujica
A new report being cited by opponents of Diablo Canyon’s continued operation carries an alarming title: “Worsening Newborn/Infant Health in San Luis Obispo County and the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Reactors.” Its author, Joseph Mangano of the Radiation and Public Health Project, claims that radiation from Diablo Canyon, California’s only remaining nuclear plant and largest single source of clean electricity, is demonstrably harming the babies of San Luis Obispo County.
It is a serious charge that deserves close scrutiny. The report does not survive it, because the evidence is not there.
Q&A with California Public Utilities Commission President John Reynolds
POLITICO Pro | June 17, 2026
By Noah Baustin
Wednesday marks 100 days since Governor Newsom put John Reynolds in charge of the state agency that oversees the state’s electric, natural gas, telecommunications, water, and rail companies. POLITICO caught up with Reynolds for a wide-ranging conversation covering key decisions he’s made and the major energy issues being debated in the Legislature. See below for a highlight from the interview:
Noah Baustin: Should California extend Diablo Canyon, the state’s only operating nuclear power plant, beyond 2030?
John Reynolds: That’s another one where it’s up to the Legislature. We have performed some initial modeling showing that the California grid with Diablo would get us to our clean energy goals, maintaining reliability, cheaper than without Diablo.
California is rethinking nuclear — environmental groups should, too
The Hill | June 9, 2026
By Ethan Brown
In 2016, California announced plans to retire Diablo Canyon, the state’s last nuclear power plant. Coming from America’s most influential environmental rulemaker, the decision seemed to confirm nuclear power’s place outside the environmental mainstream.
A decade later, at the May 6 California gubernatorial debate, moderators revisited the question of whether the state should keep Diablo Canyon operating past 2030. This time, all seven candidates said yes.
With a changing climate and rising electric bills driving demand for abundant clean energy, nuclear has become hard to dismiss, especially as modern safety reforms have quelled many historical fears.
There's Growing Local Support for Extending Life of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant
KQED | May 18, 2026
By Keith Mizuguchi
Nuclear advocates are pushing to keep Diablo Canyon – California’s only running nuclear power plant – open even longer than planned. The plant passed its final hurdle to run until 2030 last month, but legislators are talking about extending that expiration date even further. And while lawmakers debate how long Diablo Canyon should stay open, local support for the nuclear plant is growing.
How the Diablo Canyon Power Plant won the hearts and minds of its neighbors
KCBX | May 18, 2026
By Kendra Hanna
The construction of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant began in 1968, kicking off decades of protests led by anti-nuclear and anti-war activists.
But on the Central Coast, the surrounding communities have come to accept — and even support — California's only operating nuclear power plant.
Now, as state lawmakers consider whether Diablo Canyon should stay open past its 2030 planned decommissioning date, hometown support for the plant comes at a critical time.
California Assembly leadership set up working group to consider nuclear power plant extension
Politico | May 14, 2026
By Noah Baustin
Why it matters: The formation of the working group is a tangible sign that the legislature may take up the issue of Diablo Canyon’s renewal this year. There is currently no extension bill in the legislature, but a coalition of business, labor, and energy groups are pushing lawmakers to pass the policy this session.
PRESS RELEASE:
Diablo Canyon 2045 Coalition Launches to Protect California’s Renewable Energy Transition & Lower Costs for Customers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 23, 2026
Contact: Megan Gamble, 916-832-1884
The growing coalition of 25 organizations is asking California lawmakers to pass legislation this year to extend Diablo Canyon Power Plant to 2045
Sacramento, CA – Today, organizations representing clean energy, labor, business, and other thought leaders announce Diablo Canyon 2045, a broad and growing coalition of groups and individuals that have come together to urge lawmakers to keep Diablo Canyon Power Plant open until 2045.
NCPA Calls on California Legislature to Act in Wake of NRC Diablo Canyon License Renewals
Generation | April 6, 2026
By Paul Ciampoli
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed the operating licenses of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in California for an additional 20 years.
Pacific Gas & Electric Co.’s Diablo Canyon Units 1 and 2 are pressurized-water reactors in Avila Beach, California. Unit 1’s operating license will now expire on Nov. 2, 2044, and Unit 2’s will expire on Aug. 26, 2045….
California should extend Diablo Canyon nuclear plant’s lifespan to address state’s energy needs
San Francisco Chronicle | March 30, 2026
By John Grubb and Vidya Schalk
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul recently called for significantly increasing the amount of nuclear energy that flows into the state’s power grid. The announcement came barely a week after Illinois lifted its decades-old moratorium on new nuclear energy. The message from both states is clear: If you’re serious about cutting carbon emissions, making energy bills more affordable, and keeping the lights on, nuclear power must be part of the solution….
Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant takes big step toward extending life until 2030
San Luis Obispo Tribune | March 1, 2026
By Stephanie Zappelli
PG&E is one step closer to keeping Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant open until 2030. On Thursday, the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board voted unanimously to approve a five-year permit that allows the power plant to release up to 2.76 billion gallons of wastewater per day into the Pacific Ocean….
City of San Luis Obispo approves Diablo Canyon letter to state legislature
KSBY | February 4, 2026
By Karson Wells
On Tuesday, the San Luis Obispo City Council voted unanimously to send a letter to the state legislature regarding extended operations at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant. The letter is similar to one drafted by the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors and signed by the other six city councils in the county
San Luis Obispo council members decided to draft their own letter highlighting three main points: public safety and preparedness, fiscal mitigation, and long-term planning and land conservation…