Constructing a new power plant does result in carbon emissions, but operating a plant that is already built does not. California is a strong advocate of clean energy. The picture is confusing: California is closing its last operating nuclear power plant, which is a source of clean power, as it faces an energy emergency and a mandate to eliminate carbon emissions.
The explanations vary depending on which of the stakeholders you ask. But underlying the statewide diplomatic chess is a deeply held anti-nuclear agenda in the state. Diablo is located near several fault lines , cracks in the earth's crust that are potential locations for earthquakes. Concerns about nuclear plants and earthquakes grew after the disaster at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Japan. On March 11, , a 9. Cooling systems failed and the plant released radioactive material in the area.
In July , the then on-site Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspector for Diablo Canyon, Michael Peck, issued a report questioning whether the nuclear power plant should be shuttered while further investigation was done on fault lines near the plant. The confidential report was obtained and published by the Associated Press, and resulted in an extensive review process.
The Hosgri fault line, located about 3 miles away from Diablo Canyon, was discovered in the s when construction was in early stages and the NRC was able to make changes to the research and construction plans. Peck's filing brought attention to another collection of nearby fault lines — the Shoreline, Los Osos and San Luis Bay.
All of these discussions of safety are set against a backdrop of shifting sentiment about nuclear energy in the United States. When people have a 'dread' mental model of risk it doesn't really matter what kind of objective analysis shows safety level. People fear it. In San Luis Obispo County, a network of loud sirens called the Early Warning System Sirens is in place to warn nearby residents if something bad is happening at the nuclear power plant.
Those sirens are tested regularly, and hearing them is unsettling. While living in the shadow of Diablo Canyon is scary, she is also well aware of the dangers of climate change. The NRC continues to find the plant remains seismically safe.
One reason is a growing number of California residents buying power through local energy purchasing groups called community choice aggregators, the legal documents say. Many of those organizations simply refuse to buy nuclear. There are 23 local CCAs in California serving more than 11 million customers. There are financial factors at play, too. CCAs that have refused nuclear power stand to benefit financially when Diablo shuts down. The Atomic Energy Commission formally approved the construction permit in April when construction began.
During the next five years applications, debates and approvals became the norm. Then, Shell Oil geologists discovered the Hosgri earthquake fault in February In an October 28, article the San Jose Mercury revealed the fault was in the ocean just 2. Continuing through the early s hearings were held for public comments. During , after the Three Mile Island nuclear meltdown, protests were formed throughout the state against Diablo.
On April 7, 25, people rallied in San Francisco. Governor Brown called for a moratorium on Diablo construction and then came out against the facility.
But became the year of significance for the plant. On May 7, , unit one began commercial operation and on March 18, unit two followed. Tending Nature. The Mallorca Files. Professor T Belgium.
Fine Cut. SoCal Wanderer. Earth Focus Presents. Muhammad Ali. Southland Sessions. Line of Separation. Icon: Music Through the Lens. Buongiorno: California, like many other regions in the world, is facing multiple challenges as it seeks to reduce carbon emissions on a grand scale.
First, the wide deployment of intermittent energy sources such as solar and wind creates a great deal of variability on the grid that can be balanced by dispatchable firm power generators like Diablo.
So, the first mission for Diablo is to continue to provide reliable, clean electricity to the grid. The second challenge is the prolonged drought and water scarcity for the state in general. And one way to address that is water desalination co-located with the nuclear plant at the Diablo site, as John explained. The third challenge is related to decarbonization the transportation sector.
A possible approach is replacing conventional cars and trucks with vehicles powered by fuel cells which consume hydrogen. Hydrogen has to be produced from a primary energy source. Nuclear power, through a process called electrolysis, can do that quite efficiently and in a manner that is carbon-free. Our economic analysis took into account the expected revenue from selling these multiple products — electricity for the grid, hydrogen for the transportation sector, water for farmers or other local users — as well as the costs associated with deploying the new facilities needed to produce desalinated water and hydrogen.
Finally, if Diablo was operated as a polygeneration facility that provides electricity, desalinated water, and hydrogen simultaneously, its value, quantified in terms of dollars per unit electricity generated, could increase by 50 percent.
Lienhard: Most of the desalination scenarios that we considered did not consume the full electrical output of that plant, meaning that under most scenarios you would continue to make electricity and do something with it, beyond just desalination. Q: This plant in particular has been highly controversial since its inception.
The potential safety concern for Diablo is related to its proximity to several fault lines. Being located in California, the plant was designed to withstand large earthquakes to begin with. As an additional level of protection, the plant has been retrofitted with special equipment and procedures meant to ensure reliable cooling of the reactor core and spent fuel pool under a hypothetical scenario in which all design-basis safety systems have been disabled by a severe external event.
We believe that this report gives the relevant stakeholders and policymakers a lot of information about options and value associated with keeping the plant running, and about how California could benefit from clean water and clean power generated at Diablo Canyon. All we can do is provide information. Q: What are the biggest challenges or obstacles to seeing these ideas implemented? Lienhard: California has very strict environmental protection regulations, and it's good that they do.
One of the areas of great concern to California is the health of the ocean and protection of the coastal ecosystem. As a result, very strict rules are in place about the intake and outfall of both power plants and desalination plants, to protect marine life. Our analysis suggests that this combined plant can be implemented within the parameters prescribed by the California Ocean Plan and that it can meet the regulatory requirements.
We believe that deeper analysis would be needed before you could proceed. But the preliminary analysis is positive.
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