It is good to see the narrative changing on this vital component of the power grid.
Currently, only three nuclear plants provide 15% of California’s power needs, so it is clear the addition of more plants can be a very sound direction for public leadership to move; including perhaps repowering the closed Rancho Seco plant.
An excerpt from the article in the Sacramento Bee.
“The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission oversees the operation of nuclear plants in the United States, but California lawmakers in 1976 imposed a ban on new plants until the NRC could resolve long-term storage for spent fuel rods or determine appropriate means for reprocessing them.
“The California Energy Commission in a 2007 report determined that little has changed in regard to waste storage or reprocessing in the country, precluding the state from reversing the moratorium.
“California currently has two nuclear sites in operation, Diablo Canyon near San Luis Obispo and San Onofre near San Clemente. The power plants were approved before the moratorium took effect and are roughly halfway through the 40-year period for which they have been licensed. A third nuclear plant near Phoenix also provides electricity to the state.
“The three plants contribute roughly 15 percent of the state's overall energy portfolio, according to the energy commission. The state also has seen the closure of three nuclear plants, including Rancho Seco in southeast Sacramento County, which voters agreed to shutter in 1989.”
