California regulators vote to extend Diablo Canyon nuclear plant operations through 2030

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (AP) — California energy regulators have voted to allow the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant to operate for an additional five years, despite calls from environmental groups to shut it down. The California Public Utilities Commission agreed Thursday to extend the shutdown date for the state’s last functioning nuclear power facility through 2030 instead of closing it in 2025 as previously agreed. The plant’s twin reactors, located midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, supply up to 9% of the state’s electricity. Opponents call the plant unsafe, unnecessary and a waste of billions of dollars. But California lawmakers, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, say the plant is an important part of the state’s electrical grid as the state transitions to renewable energy sources.