The federal government has set the stage for PG&E to get a $1.1 billion grant to extend the life of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant.
The company had been planning to shut down its Central Coast facility in 2025, because it was facing expense retrofits to relicense it. But, with the state, and the nation taking longer than expected to convert to green energy, government officials are now pushing to extend the lives of plants set to close.
The Biden Administration set up a $6 billion program to help keep the facilities operating.
PG&E had started the relicensing process for Diablo Canyon in 2009, but withdrew its application in 2018 after deciding to shut down. The company is now talking with federal regulators to see if it can resume the relicensing process, or whether it will have to start from scratch.
Some people in the community have called for the plant's shutdown for years, over concerns that the facility could be at risk from a major earthquake.
