It is not just France that is trying to revive its nuclear industry. As reported by the Los Angeles Times on Monday, the US president, Joe Biden, granted a grant of 1,100 million dollars (1,070 million euros) to the company Pacific Gas & Electric Co (PG&E) to save the last nuclear power plant in California, which It was scheduled to close in 2025.
The first reactor at the Diablo Canyon plant was to be decommissioned in 2024, the second the following year. But the Democratic governor of California, Gavin Newsom, decided on September 16 to extend the operation of the plant for five more years, to deal with electricity shortages and heat waves linked to climate change.
Several decades of anti-nuclear activism
Joe Biden’s push does not guarantee that Diablo Canyon will remain in service, although the Los Angeles Times considers that scenario likely for “at least a few more years.” California is marked by decades of anti-nuclear activism and public concern as the nuclear power plant is located near a seismic fault line.
The nuclear plant supplied 8% of California’s electricity and 17% of the state’s carbon-free power last year, according to Patti Poppe, CEO of PG&E. The Joe Biden grant is expected to allow PG&E to partially repay the $1.4 billion loan approved by state lawmakers at the request of Gavin Newsom to keep the plant running until 2030.
100% carbon-free electricity target by 2035
The grant would be spread over four years, from 2023 to 2026, according to the US Department of Energy. It must cover PG&E’s anticipated losses in the case of the Diablo Canyon extension. However, the company will not receive the full amount if the income from the sale of electricity is higher than expected.
“This is a critical step to ensure that our national nuclear fleet continues to provide reliable and affordable power to Americans as the nation’s primary source of clean electricity,” Secretary of State for Energy Jennifer Granholm said in a written statement. Joe Biden has promised to produce 100% carbon-free electricity by 2035.
Source: BFM TV
