License Renewal

In August of 2016 Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) , along with six labor and environmental groups, filed with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) a joint proposal to shut down the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant by 2025. The parties to the joint proposal were PG&E, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1245, the Coalition of California Utility Employees, Friends of the Earth, Natural Resources Defense Council, Environment California and the Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility. The CPUC made its Final Decision on the conditions of plant closure on January 11, 2018.

On November 8, 2017, CPUC Administrative Law Judge Peter Allen issued proposed wording of a decision on PG&E's Joint Proposal for the retirement of the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant. This is not a final document, as there is a period of public comment to follow, and a meeting for final Oral Arguments by the Parties at the CPUC on November 28, 2017. Mothers for Peace members and attorney Sabrina Venskus are planning to attend that meeting.

San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace (MFP) supports PG&E's proposal to shut down the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant, but strongly opposes the closure dates of 2024 and 2025 for the two units. MFP asserts that the rate-payers and the people of the State of California would be better served by closure in 2019 and 2020. The earlier closure dates lessen the amount of environmental damage and economic, safety and reliability risks.

San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace co-sponsors Part V of the testimony of the Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility. This section asks the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to deny PG&E's request that the rate-payers reimburse PG&E the $52.7 million PG&E incurred in its pursuit of license renewal for the Diablo Canyon plant between the years 2009 - 2016. See pages 6 - 39.

Robert Freehling's report shows that renewable energy resources to replace needed electricity after the closure of Diablo Canyon will be available. California's clean energy policies will not be compromised by plant closure.

David Jackson, Ph.D. is serving as an expert witness for San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace before the California Public Utilities Commission as it reviews PG&E's Joint Proposal for closure of the nuclear plant in 2024. Dr. Jackson makes the case for closure "at the earliest date that it is not absolutely necessary for electric power generation."

Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E’s) announcement on June 21, 2016, that the corporation plans to shut down Diablo Canyon in 2025 and replace its energy with renewables was a welcome surprise for San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace (MFP). PG&E agrees with MFP and other environmental organizations that the energy from Diablo is not needed and that carbon-free renewables can provide replacement power at lower cost.

On June 21, 2016, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced a Proposal to shut down Diablo Canyon nuclear plant at the end of its current licensing period and to bring renewables on-line. There were a number of organizations that joined with PG&E to work out this plan: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1245, Coalition of California UtilityEmployees, Friends of the Earth, Natural Resources Defense Council, Environment California, and Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility

San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace (SLOMFP) asks the California State Lands Commission (SLC) to delay approval of Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E’s) application for a new lease that would allow the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant to use state tidelands until 2024 and 2025. SLOMFP asked the SLC to postpone making a decision on the lease for 30 days to allow comment on whether the SLC should prepare an Environmental Impact Report for the proposed lease. Below is the Letter to the State Lands Commission.

San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace (SLOMFP) is pleased that on June 21, 2016 Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced plans to withdraw its application for license renewal for the two reactors at Diablo Canyon nuclear plant. The current licenses expire in 2024 and 2025. PG&E’s proposal secures a date certain for the final shutdown of the last nuclear plant in the state of California. Since 2009, when PG&E submitted its license renewal application to the NRC, SLOMFP has opposed the operation of Diablo Canyon on safety and environmental grounds.

California Senator Bill Monning has put before the California Senate SB 968. Mothers for Peace appreciates his intentions to prepare for the economic impacts of the closure of the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant in the event that it goes off-line before its current licenses expire in 2024 and 2025. However, in order to benefit the workers at the plant and the people of the central coast, we strongly suggest amendments.

Mothers for Peace asks the California State Lands Commission to require an environmental review of PG&E's request for new leases of tidelands adjacent to Diablo Canyon nuclear plant.

San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace is one of 30 organizations going on record as opposing SB 968. That bill as proposed would focus on the adverse economic impacts to be expected when the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant shuts down. It fails to look at the advantages of plant closure or at opportunities for creating jobs by investing in more sources of renewable energy.

Thirty environmental, health and other organizations today announced their opposition to California state legislation that would mandate an analysis of purportedly negative – but not positive – impacts of shutting down the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. In a formal opposition letter, the groups say SB 968 could amount to “a state- ordered piece of advocacy for forces pushing for Diablo Canyon to operate far beyond its original design and license life. This could have great negative impacts on California. We recognize that this is not the intent of the author or co- authors, but nonetheless conclude there would be serious unintended consequences of the bill.”

On August 6, 2015, the NRC's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board rejected two Contentions from Mothers for Peace on the grounds that they were not timely. Attorney Diane Curran appeals that ruling to the Commissioners, asserting among other things that "Claims that are premature cannot be late at the same time."

MOTHERS FOR PEACE DEMANDS FULL CONSIDERATION OF SEISMIC ISSUES AND ENERGY ALTERNATIVES BEFORE RE-LICENSING OF DIABLO CANYON REACTORS

PG&E's attempt to disqualify Mothers for Peace's Contention EC - 1 should be denied because the Scheduling Order of the ASLB is still in effect. Omissions in PG&E's seismic studies of the Shoreline Fault result in a lack of understanding of the seismic risks to the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant.

San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace presents arguments to the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board to show that PG&E's Severe Accident Mitigation Analysis inadequately considers seismic risks at Diablo Canyon nuclear plant.

San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace asserts that the Commission is obligated to fully consider seismic issues and energy alternatives before license renewal of Diablo Canyon reactors

We encourage the NRC to include and explore the following topics in the scope of its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on Diablo Canyon: climate change, energy supply and grid stability, economic impact, earthquake risk and public health risk including increasing cancer and declining infant health.