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.
SB968 would require Pacific Gas and Electric Company to submit an assessment of the economic impact for the regions surrounding Diablo Canyon that could occur if the Diablo Canyon power plant Units 1 and 2 were to temporarily or permanently shut down. SLO Mothers for Peace is, at this time, opposing this bill as it is written. We do have hopes that the authors of the bill will listen to us and members of the public and make changes and amendments that will make this bill better. We ask you to please write to the authors and co-authors of the bill with your objections and suggestions for improvement.
The inclusion of the words “beneficial” and “net economic effects” in the Legislative Digest and in the first part of the body of the bill does begin the process of balancing the bill but that is where that “balance” ends. Below we will point out where the language of the bill itself needs to be changed to reflect the balance that is necessary to ensure that this is a true study of all of the economic impacts, adverse and beneficial. In light of the recent heavy push by The Breakthrough Institute, unions, and others to keep the plant open until 2044-2045, we feel these changes are necessary in order to ensure that this study does not unintentionally become an organizing tool and “hit piece” for those asking for re-licensing.
The following is a list of changes and/or additions we would need to see in order to withdraw our opposition to SB 968:
- 1) 712.5 (a) (1) There is an incongruity in SECTION 1, line 6. It states: “. . .for the region surrounding the County of San Luis Obispo,. . .” Does this mean that the study is only for Monterey and Santa Barbara Counties? Shouldn’t it read something like, “. . .the County of San Luis Obispo, the region surrounding the County of San Luis Obispo, and the state as a whole. . .”?
- 2) 712.5 (a) (1) Line 15 “. . .for the state and local jurisdictions to consider in order to mitigate the adverse economic impact of a shutdown. . .”. It should also call for enhancement the positive economic effects.
- 3) 712.5 (b) (1) – “Estimates of any decreases in local or state tax revenues, decreases in workforce populations, losses in indirect or induced economies, and potential impacts to ratepayers from an early shutdown.” We would also like to see something like: “Estimates of any increases in local or state tax revenues, increases in workforce populations, gains in indirect or induced economies, and potential impacts to ratepayers from a transition to reliance on new sources of energy generation from renewables, above and beyond existing state mandates, to replace the power from Diablo Canyon upon its closure.”
- 4) 712.5 (b) (2) – “A review of the economic impacts that affected the region surrounding the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.” SONGS was shut down unexpectedly thereby creating a lot of problems that would not have been present in a planned closure. For a truly balanced study one must also look at another NPP that was “successfully” shut down. In the State of California, that NPP would be Rancho Seco in Sacramento. All of the waste is being stored on- site in dry-cask storage and the land around the closed plant is now a solar farm. There are many lessons to be learned from Rancho Seco and a study of that closure must be included.
- 5) 712.5 (b) (4) – “Identification of any contingency plans that could mitigate the adverse economic impact of a shutdown to state and local jurisdictions, the local workforce, and entities receiving enhanced tax revenue.” This is, again, focused to the negative. We believe it should read: “. . .plans that could mitigate the adverse economic impact and enhance the positive economic impact of a shutdown. . .” Also, the terms “mitigate” and “mitigation” must be clearly defined or examples of the types of mitigation be described “Mitigation would include exploring the creation of jobs for which some employees at Diablo might be qualified or for which they could be offered training. Mitigation would also include the assessment of alternative renewable forms of energy that might be added at the Diablo Canyon site or at other locations in San Luis Obispo County or nearby regions.”
6) There are two ways Diablo Canyon will shut down. A planned closure:
- In 2024-2025 if relicensing does not occur and the plant closes when the current licenses expire
- In 2044-2045 if relicensing does occur. An unplanned closure:
- The State Lands Commission denies Diablo Canyon land use permits and the plant must close.
- The CA State Water Board rules that Diablo Canyon is no longer exempt from the Clean Air Act and can no longer use Once Through Cooling. The cost of building cooling towers could cause PG&E to close Diablo like SCGE did at San Onofre because of the generators.
- There is a larger than design basis earthquake that causes a radioactive release, a spent- fuel pool fire or, worst case scenario, a melt-down in the containment that would cause a closure of the plant.Why would one look only at one scenario of early closure and not also look at the cost that an accident would cause? If the County of SLO and its surrounding areas are to be able to use the information that this study would provide, they need ALL of the information not just some of it.Please write, call or fax the following authors and co-authors of the bill and let them know how you feel about SB 968!Senator Bill Monning Capitol Office
State Capitol, Room 313 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 651-4017 Fax: (916) 651-4917Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson Capitol Office
State Capitol, Room 2032 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 651-4019Assemblymember Katcho Achadjian Capitol Office
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 94249(916) 319-2035 (916) 319-2135 fax