May
29
Newsom Desperate for Nuclear Power
“In light of climate change and all the extreme weather we are having, many voters are now reassessing their previous opposition to nuclear power.” — Mark DiCamillo, UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies
Isn’t this ironic?!
Governor Gavin Newsom — one of the greeny-est, Lefty-est politicians in one of the greeny-est, Lefty-est states — is now (as of April) asking President Biden to help him keep California’s last working nuclear power plant open. Specifically, he is asking for a big chunk of the $6 billion that the Biden administration has allotted for rescuing nuclear reactors facing closure. (That’s a surprise in itself.) Could it be that Newsom is beginning to recognize the obvious benefits of nuclear power versus “renewable” energy?
For a bit of background, the eco-warriors in California passed the Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) in 2002 (under Gov. Gray Davis), which mandated that half of California’s power must come from “renewable” sources by 2030. This put nuclear and fossil-fuel plants on the chopping block. (I might note that Davis’ handling of the “California electricity crisis” helped torpedo his political career and got him booted from office.) In 2016, Pacific Gas & Electric negotiated an agreement with the state, environmental groups, and its own union workforce to shutter its two Diablo Canyon nuclear units in 2024 and 2025 (i.e., when their operating licenses will expire or require renewal by the NRC).
But, reality hit hard in 2020, when a heat wave resulted in rolling blackouts, thanks to insufficient energy supplies (i.e., “renewables” couldn’t satisfy demand) — something the California Public Utilities Commission had warned about. Gov. Newsom was rather displeased and vowed it would not happen again. In response, the State Water Resources Control Board agreed to keep four natural gas plants in southern California operating for a few years beyond their scheduled shut down on Dec. 31, 2020. (They were being shut down because their use of ocean water for cooling was having detrimental effects on local marine life.)
With this history in mind and predictions of another possible heat wave, it is perhaps no surprise that Newsom wants to re-open the Diablo plant and use federal money for required upgrades — that is, “upgrades to comply with earthquake safety rules and with environmental regulations governing the use of ocean water for power-plant cooling.” (It is questionable whether or not such upgrades are truly necessary, but such are the hoops that the greenies are making them jump through. Could they even complete the upgrades in time for this summer?)
Bloomberg, however, says this is more than just Newsom trying to avoid a potentially career-ending debacle. It seems that the people of California, and even a few critics, are coming around to the idea of nuclear power being an acceptable energy source — at least, for a few years.
“The U-turn on Diablo Canyon reflects the realization that the threat of outages and the urgency to fight global warming is overshadowing concerns about a potential radioactive disaster…. [Newsom’s request reflects] a growing global trend as reactors, long bogeymen to environmentalists, gain newfound support thanks to their ability to generate around-the-clock power without emitting carbon dioxide.”
Yes! That’s what we’ve been saying!
The Washington Post notes that even noted anti-nuclear power activist Charles Komanoff is softening on the idea for pragmatic reasons, saying, “We’re going to have to give up some of our long-held beliefs if we are going to deal with climate.” Along the same lines, an energy scholar at MIT, John Parsons, admitted, “I am part of a whole generation of people who became frightened of nuclear power, but I am also more willing to entertain nuclear than I once was because there is a climate crisis.” (Kinda makes one wonder if their objections are all “theater”.)
On the other hand, a letter Newsom received from an alliance of hardline environmentalist groups declared,
“Your suggestion to extend the operational life of the Diablo Canyon nuclear facility is an outrage. Diablo Canyon is dangerous, dirty and expensive. It must retire as planned.”
They aren’t the only ones. But, despite the activist resistance and regulatory hurdles, there has been growing support for keeping Diablo open and for nuclear power in general by government officials, academics, and regular citizens alike.
“US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm has voiced support for it. A Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology study released last year showed that extending Diablo Canyon’s life to 2035 would significantly help California cut emissions and save $2.6 billion in power system costs. And a recent poll by the University of California at Berkeley found 39% of California voters opposed closing Diablo Canyon, while 33% favored the shutdown and 28% were undecided.”
As per PG&E (and quoted by Bloomberg),
“We’re willing to consider all options, consistent with state policy, to ensure continued safe, reliable and clean energy delivery to all Californians. We are open to applying for DOE funding given the potential savings it could represent for our customers as the state considers various options to support reliability in California.”
Glad to see that more Californians are coming around on nuclear power, but there are a lot of “leaders” who need to be smacked around a bit. (Metaphorically, of course.) I think Newsom’s plea is a good move both for him politically and more importantly for the state. Leftist playground that it is, California has regulated itself into a corner on the energy issue, and I suspect they will continue to pay for it in many ways — and deserve to. But, there are also good people who live and work there, non-Leftists who are opposed to that agenda, and for their sakes I hope the Diablo plant gets all necessary upgrades and the requisite license extension. Maybe they should start looking at building another one, while they’re at it…
