Cunningham to Introduce Bill Providing Path for Continued Operation of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant

This just in - FYI

Carl Wurtz

President
Californians for Green Nuclear Power

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Nick Mirman

October 11, 2019

(916) 319-2035



Cunningham to Introduce Bill Providing Path for Continued Operation of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA – Today, Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) announced that he intends to introduce a bill that could create an incentive to keep the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant operational and raise funds to pay fire victims.

“Californians deserve an all-of-the-above approach to fighting climate change. Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, an emission-free source of electricity that supplies the state with nine percent of its power, needs to be a part of the answer,” said Cunningham.

“PG&E and the bankruptcy court should be looking at creative ways to raise the type of capital necessary to pay fire victims. There’s no reason for a bankrupt utility with billions of dollars in liabilities to shut down a perfectly safe and profitable source of emission-free electricity.”

The bill, to be introduced when the legislative year starts in January, would:

• Classify nuclear power as a renewable under the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard
• Mandate that California’s Public Utility Commission (CPUC) not approve a PG&E bankruptcy or settlement plan that does not include a plan to continue operation of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant
• Mandate that no less than $1 billion of the proceeds of any sale of the Diablo Canyon plant shall be earmarked to pay fire victims
•  Mandate that no less than $300 million of any proceeds of the Diablo Canyon sale shall be spent on hardening the electrical grid to help prevent catastrophic wildfires

Earlier this year, Cunningham introduced ACA 18, a California constitutional amendment that would bring parity and fairness to the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard by including nuclear and large-scale hydro power.

Cunningham represents the communities surrounding Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, which is slated for closure in 2025. The plant generates billions of dollars in annual economic activity for the region, employs 1,500 local residents and provides the state with more than nine percent of its power with no greenhouse gas emissions.


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Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham is a small business owner; former school board member and prosecutor, husband and father of four. He proudly represents all of San Luis Obispo County and a portion of Santa Barbara County, including Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Cambria, Paso Robles, Grover Beach, Guadalupe, Lompoc, Los Osos, Morro Bay, Nipomo, Orcutt, Pismo Beach, Templeton, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Maria, and surrounding communities.