Will Diablo Follow SONGS?

One of the two reactors at the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant has been closed or its operation reduced for the second time in two years.

When unit one will have its capability for generating electrical power restored is not being speculated by PG&E, the owner of the plant located alongside the Pacific Ocean in Avila Beach.

The corporation says the plant poses no threat to people or the environment while undergoing repairs to unit one.

Last week, on June 26, a PG&E spokesperson said plant operators "detected a small buildup of boric acid on the residual heat removal system, which helps manage reactor coolant temperatures in the event of an unlikely emergency."

With one Diablo Canyon unit shut down, it has some wondering if that plant might go the way of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) north of Sam Diego, which was retired a few weeks ago after experiencing constant mechanical troubles for the previous two years. When its units were out of commission, one of Diablo's units was also off line. But no one noticed because, it turns out, the state has an abundant supply of energy to make up for such losses (State Doing Well Without Any Nuclear Energy).

"Replacing Diablo Canyon’s more than 18,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually would require California residents and businesses to invest in additional energy infrastructure. According to the California Public Utilities Commission, California uses 265,000 gigawatt hours of electricity per year and consumption is expected to continue growing by two percent each year. By not extending Diablo Canyon's licenses, it would remove an existing clean and reliable source of electricity," PG&E said.

However, solar and other renewables have been growing so rapidly in California that it appears that the growth in those two energy sources could render nuclear energy outmoded.

But for now, Diablo's dollars are felt throughout San Luis Obispo County. A study conducted by the Orfalea College of Business at Cal Poly concluded that the plant generates $2 billion nationwide, $1.1 billion in California and $920 million in this county. Plus another $181 million in local, state and federal taxes.

Ben Davis is a leading advocate of  the California Nuclear Initiative which would put the issue of closing Diablo Canyon before the voters in November 2014. He also is an anti-nuclear activist credited with drafting the initiative which led to the closure of the Rancho Seco nuclear power plant.

As I noted at the recent California Energy Commission hearing on nuclear power, "we have an energy surplus in California that is over three times the energy produced by Diablo Canyon. There is no evidence that closing the plant will cause any energy shortage, grid reliability concens, or even a slight rate increase. At this moment rate payers and voters in California are being subjected to all the risks and the only beneficiary of nuclear power is PG&E." Now that SONGS is gone.

Belted Kingfisher Image on Banner by Cleve Nash