PG&E working on safety at Diablo Canyon power plant

PG&E is working to improve safety at Diablo Canyon, California’s last nuclear power plant, after its lifespan was extended through 2030. The plant should have been shut down this year, but state lawmakers decided to keep it active for a few more years, with operator PG&E even applying for a 20-year license extension to the mid-2040s. Not all were happy with this decision. Mothers For Peace, an anti-nuclear organization, said they were concerned about safety issues at the plant and wrote a letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission asking to shut down and test one of Diablo Canyon’s reactor vessels for embrittlement, which is a result of aging and continued use. Meanwhile, PG&E plans to take unit 1 of the plant offline for a scheduled outage. 1000 additional workers will be involved in the process, which happens regularly, alternating between the units. Maureen Zawalick, vice president of business and technical services at Diablo Canyon Power Plant, said they are working to enhance safety and maintenance in response to the extension of the plant’s lifespan through 2030. After the planned outage, both units of Diablo Canyon should return to service in approximately one month.