Decision on California's last nuke plant could be postponed

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office are discussing a possible compromise over the future of the state’s last operating nuclear power plant that could allow operator Pacific Gas & Electric to seek federal funds for a longer lifespan for the reactors.

The tentative proposal would amount to a legislative placeholder, keeping the idea of an extended run for the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in play while giving the Legislature more time to consider earthquake safety, delayed maintenance and other issues at the site, located midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The plan surfaced amid the chaotic, final days of the Legislature’s two-year session, which ends at midnight Wednesday.

On Aug. 12, the Democratic governor proposed extending the plant’s operating run by five to 10 years beyond its scheduled closing by 2025, which he said was necessary to maintain reliable power supplies in the climate change era.

But legislators have complained about being bull rushed at the last minute with a vastly complex plan, which would have to be in print as a bill by late Sunday to be considered in this session.

At a state Senate Energy Committee meeting Thursday, Sen. John Laird, a Santa Cruz Democrat whose district includes the plant, raised the possibility of the Legislature doing what is “absolutely necessary” to allow investor-owned PG&E to seek the federal funds, while putting off other, more contentious questions tied to the future of the reactors until next year when the Legislature returns.

The Biden administration has established a $6 billion program to rescue nuclear plants at risk of closing, but to apply by a Sept. 6 deadline, Diablo Canyon needs state legislation to show it has a pathway to continue operations beyond...