California Votes to Extend Life of Last Nuclear Power Plant

  • Diablo Canyon can run until 2030, utilities commission decides
  • State seeks to avoid blackouts during energy transition

PG&E’s Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant.

Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
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California regulators moved to extend the life of its last nuclear power plant to reduce blackout risks amid the state’s transition to a carbon-free electrical grid.

The California Public Utilities Commission voted Thursday to keep PG&E Corp.’s Diablo Canyon nuclear plant running until 2030. The approval is contingent on PG&E getting an operating license extension from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.