PG&E Sued To Force Closure of California’s Last Nuclear Plant

(Bloomberg) -- Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has been sued by an environmental group in an attempt to block the utility from seeking an extension of federal licenses to run California’s last nuclear power plant.

Friends of the Earth on Tuesday filed a complaint in San Francisco Superior Court asking for an order that would stop PG&E from violating a 2016 agreement with the group in which the company promised to shut the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant once its licenses run out by 2025.

In the run up to the planned retirement of the plant, located in San Luis Obispo County, PG&E “did not undertake the maintenance and safety upgrades it otherwise would have,” after the deal was reached, the group said in its complaint.

PG&E “is seeking the keys to continue operating its outdated nuclear power plant, situated near three dangerous seismic faults, for an indefinite period of time, the group said.

PG&E didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Last month California Energy Commission determined that the state should pursue extending operations of Diablo through 2030 to ensure electricity reliability.

“As we experienced during the record heat wave last September, climate change-driven extreme events are causing unprecedented stress on our power grid – the Diablo Canyon Power Plant is important to support energy reliability as we accelerate progress towards achieving our clean energy and climate goals,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said during a visit to the plant in March.

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