NEWSOM'S "DEAL WITH THE DEVIL" BILL EXEMPTS ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND COSTS US $1.4 BILLION

The proposed bill allows for the continued operation of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant well beyond 2025 as unanimously agreed upon in 2016. The draft of this bill includes shortcuts and sweeping exemptions from environmental review from State permitting agencies, with no clear end date

This bill also promises to “loan” PG&E up to $1.4 billion to cover costs of extending Diablo Canyon’s operating life - with all of the loan potentially “forgivable”. It agrees to pay PG&E $7 per every megawatt-hour of power generated which would mean an annual subsidy exceeding $120 million.

Nor does it mention energy efficiency or demand response measures as a potential response to California’s reliability challenges. The findings used to justify these extraordinary provisions include no citations to published studies by any California regulator or agency recommending a further life extension for Diablo Canyon. There are none.

The Devil's deal is based on fearmongering with unsubstantiated threats of costly and even deadly blackouts. None of these same false arguments ever materialized due to the closing of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in 2013.

For these and many more reasons we ask that you honor the solemn agreement signed in 2016 by local residents, labor unions, PG&E, the NRC, the state, environmental groups and others to shut both reactors by 2025, if not sooner.