Diablo Canyon clears last California permit hurdle to keep running

Central Coast Water authorities approved waste discharge permits for Diablo Canyon nuclear plant Thursday, making it more likely it will remain running through 2030.

The Pacific Gas & Electric-owned plant was originally supposed to shut down in 2025, but lawmakers extended that deadline by five years in 2022, fearing power shortages a the plant that provides about 9 percent the state’s electricity were to shut off.

In December, the Diablo Canyon received a key permit from the California Coastal Commission through an agreement that involved PG&E giving up about 12,000 acres of nearby land for conservation in exchange for the loss of marine life caused by the plant’s operations.

Today’s 6-0 vote by the Central Coast Regional Water Board approved both PG&E’s plan to limit discharges of pollutants into the water and to run its “once-through cooling system” which flushes ocean water through the plant to absorb heat, killing over a billion fish each year.

The board also granted the plant a certification under the Clean Water Act, the last regulatory hurdle the facility needed to clear before the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission decides whether to let it the facility’operate through 2045.