The NRC approved a 20-year license renewal for California’s only nuclear plant. (POWER Magazine)
PG&E’s 2.3-GW Diablo Canyon, which came online in 1985, contributes roughly 9% of CA’s total electricity and 20% of its emissions-free power.
It was headed for retirement last year…before heat wave-driven blackouts and rising demand projections convinced Sacramento to keep it running. PG&E estimates the extension delivers $450M in annual benefits from avoided emissions alone.
Speaking of clean CA energy: Developer Arevon has broken ground on a 250-MW/1-GWh Tesla Megapack battery project near San Francisco. When it goes online next year, the project is set to become the country’s largest urban battery.