Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, south of Los Osos, Calif. (AP Photo/Michael A. Mariant, File)AP2008
California’s Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant has had a tumultuous history. The plant’s two reactors came online in 1985 and 1987, following more than a decade of protests and legal battles. More recently, despite consistently providing about 9% of California’s electricity, the plant was scheduled to close its two reactors in 2024 and 2025. But in 2022, California lawmakers passed legislation enabling Diablo Canyon to remain open until 2030, and state and federal regulators recently approved the extension.
Diablo Canyon’s reprieve is a rare bright spot for U.S. nuclear power, which has struggled in recent decades. The U.S. fleet is aging fast—the average reactor is about 40 years old. Several plants have closed prematurely in recent years due to economic pressures, and more are slated to shut down.
While keeping Diablo Canyon open a bit longer makes sense from a reliability and emissions perspective, the plant’s history reveals deeper challenges facing the industry. These challenges help explain why the U.S. nuclear fleet increasingly resembles a gerontocracy—rule by the old—rather than a thriving, innovative sector.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesbroughel/2024/04/29/californias-diablo-canyon-plant-demonstrates-nuclear-powers-aging-problem/
https://www.economist.com/business/2024/10/09/big-tech-is-bringing-nuclear-power-back-to-life
Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, south of Los Osos, Calif. (AP Photo/Michael A. Mariant, File)AP2008
California’s Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant has had a tumultuous history. The plant’s two reactors came online in 1985 and 1987, following more than a decade of protests and legal battles. More recently, despite consistently providing about 9% of California’s electricity, the plant was scheduled to close its two reactors in 2024 and 2025. But in 2022, California lawmakers passed legislation enabling Diablo Canyon to remain open until 2030, and state and federal regulators recently approved the extension.
Diablo Canyon’s reprieve is a rare bright spot for U.S. nuclear power, which has struggled in recent decades. The U.S. fleet is aging fast—the average reactor is about 40 years old. Several plants have closed prematurely in recent years due to economic pressures, and more are slated to shut down.
While keeping Diablo Canyon open a bit longer makes sense from a reliability and emissions perspective, the plant’s history reveals deeper challenges facing the industry. These challenges help explain why the U.S. nuclear fleet increasingly resembles a gerontocracy—rule by the old—rather than a thriving, innovative sector.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesbroughel/2024/04/29/californias-diablo-canyon-plant-demonstrates-nuclear-powers-aging-problem/
https://www.economist.com/business/2024/10/09/big-tech-is-bringing-nuclear-power-back-to-life
Speaking of we need to rebuild….The DANGERS are here
Speaking of we need to rebuild….The DANGERS are here
also …POTUS on Elon..he says these are not for everyone
are the electric cars for peeps or lizards that live underground.
back to og…
these power plants are aging and approaching fail levels in the piping..original calculations of safety lifetime on metal in piping infrastucture did take into consideration the extremen temperatures of water heated needed to operate in regular conditions…the temperatures where overlooked…its a nightmare waiting to happen…locals know////but no one is hearing them..national fake news overwhelms