Gov. Newsom signs bill extending Diablo Canyon Power Plant's life

Aerial view of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant which sits on the edge of the Pacific Ocean at Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County, California on March 17, 2011. Some of America’s nuclear power plants loom near big city populations, or perch perilously close to earthquake fault lines. Others have aged past their expiration dates but keep churning anyway. President Barack Obama has demanded that the 104 nuclear reactors at 65 sites get a second look as scientists warn that current regulatory standards don’t protect the US public from the kind of atomic fallout facing quake-hit Japan. AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)

by: Eytan Wallace

Posted: Sep 2, 2022 / 06:36 PM PDT

Updated: Sep 2, 2022 / 07:04 PM PDT

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KTXL) — Governor Gavin Newsom officially signed a bill into law to extend the life of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant.

The facility in San Luis Obispo County was originally set to close in 2025, but amid concerns about the state’s power supplies, the governor backed the proposal to keep the facility open until 2030.

Opponents have argued keeping the plant open is too costly, but supporters point out that the facility is responsible for 9% of the state’s power supply.

In a statement, Newsom said he “appreciate(s) the legislature’s action to maintain energy reliability as the state accelerates the transition to clean energy.”

The signing comes amid triple-digit temperatures, calls for energy conservation from the state’s power grid operator and Spare the Air alerts.