Atomic Insights

Atomic energy technology, politics, and perceptions from a nuclear energy insider who served as a US nuclear submarine engineer officer

California’s 100% clean electricity goal will be met more quickly and cheaply after PG&E reverses Diablo Canyon decision

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Copyright 2005 Jim Zimmerlin. All rights reserved

Governor Jerry Brown’s signature is the last obstacle for SB100, a bill that establishes California’s goal of producing 100% of its electricity from zero carbon sources by 2040.

The bill also includes a goal of 60% of electricity from renewables, but that leaves a big space in the market for zero emission power sources like the currently operating and well-maintained Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. For a number of rather shaky and opaque reasons, PG&E, the plant’s current owner, is planning to close down the station as each of its two units reach the end of their initial 40 year operating license.

Together, those two units produce between 17-19 billion kilowatt-hours of zero emission electricity each year, roughly 9% of California’s current electricity demand. With just three more plants like it, California can meet its zero emission goal.

Numerous plant opponents claim that the facility is “aging”, but more than 2/3 of the nuclear plants in the United States have already been granted their first 20 year extension and several have already notified the NRC of their intent to apply for their second license renewal. There isn’t a finite limit on the lifetime of a nuclear plant, just as there is no finite limit on the lifetime of any other manufactured product, building or other piece of infrastructure.

Continued utility and safety are all dependent on many factors, including executed maintenance and inspections.

Diablo Canyon has an excellent operating record and reputation within the nuclear industry. There is no reason to shut it down just because its owner thinks it can make more money without the plant than with it.

I’ve corresponded with several journalists on the energy beat about the possible revision of the Diablo Canyon decision in the wake of the 100% clean electricity bill, but so far, most have expressed severe skepticism that conditions exist in California politics for such a reversal.

Californians for Green Nuclear Power actions and accomplishments related to saving Diablo Canyon

Californians for Green Nuclear Power (CGNP) is stubborn group of skilled scientists, engineers and career public servants has been working hard for several years to share their confidence that Diablo Canyon should remain operating. They have developed considerable political skills and have been savvy enough to obtain official intervenor status in the decision process at the Public Utility Commission.

I know they are not alone, but they have generally been vastly outnumbered in meetings and in commentary on various issues. Fortunately, the law is still officially determined by facts and judicial opinions, not votes among stakeholders.

Dr. Gene Nelson, CGNP’s political liaison, recently shared the following list of CGNPs actions and accomplishments. I hope others interested in the struggle will find the list useful.

1. Californians for Green Nuclear Power, Inc. (CGNP) completed the incorporation process,

2. became THE adverse California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Intervenor in PG&E’s Application A.16-08-006 to voluntarily abandon Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) in 2025

3. Successfully recruited four knowledgeable Ph.D.s in fields related to nuclear power, many more nuclear power advocates, and some top-notch attorneys to oppose this wasteful PG&E proposal

4. Filed approximately 1,500 pages of written testimony, Motions, workpapers, etc. in support of their adverse position. This s comparable to the volume and level of detail of the Applicant, Pacific Gas & Electric.

5. Vigorously participated in all oral phases of this protracted proceeding, including all of the citizen outreach events.

6. Made heavy use of PG&E’s sworn filings in their 2010 Application to the CPUC to recover the relicensing costs to prepare DCPP for safe and reliable operation to 2045.

7. Filed an “Application for Rehearing” with the CPUC on the day the CPUC published their controversial decision permitting PG&E to abandon a perfectly good nuclear power plant in 2025, despite the anticipated harms to ratepayers and the proven adverse environmental impacts, informed by the consequences of the mismanagement of a routine service operation at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) that led to SONGS being taken off-line in January, 2012.

8. Vigorously participated in Committee hearings before the California Assembly and the California Senate opposing two pieces of legislation, AB 813 (Holden) and SB 1090 (Monning) that are connected with the proposed shutdown of DCPP in 2025.

9. Participated in numerous hearings before Local, State, and Federal political entities, advocating for the continued safe operation of Diablo Canyon Power Plant beyond 2025.

10. Participated in numerous public outreach events, including routinely setting up a booth at the world-famous San Luis Obispo Farmer’s Market, organizing and participated in rallies of support for DCPP, writing numerous letters to the Editor on the topic of DCPP that have been published, having several “OpEds” published supporting the continued safe operation of DCPP, and participating in radio and television appearances in support of the continued safe operation of DCPP.

11. Raised funds to support the above activities.

12. Advocating for the continued safe operation of DCPP at the 2018 American Nuclear Society Utility Working Conference as a speaker and plenary sessions participant.

13. Having CGNP’s lengthy Application for Intervenor Compensation in A.16-08-006 approved for consideration by the CPUC.

The remaining tasks include:

1. Considerable additional fundraising and additional public outreach.

2. Taking the above CPUC proceeding to the State of California Appeals Court system after the CPUC rejects CGNP’s Application for Rehearing.

3. Vigorously participating in the State of California Appeals Court
Proceeding.

CGNP anticipates prevailing on merits in the Appeals Court Proceeding. Our legal team is experienced in such cases.

CGNP has begun discussing in several forums that they anticipate making history as the first independent citizen group that has stopped the harmful and wasteful abandonment of a perfectly good nuclear power plant.

Correction notice: A previous version incorrectly reported that Gov Brown had already signed the bill. As of Sep 1, the bill has not yet been signed.

Michael Shellenberger. Independent thinker. Lifelong Democrat. Trying to take back California from “country club” Establishment

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Led by Michael Shellenberger, pro-nuclear environmentalists celebrate NYPSC decision to create Zero Emission Credit program for upstate nuclear

California, an enormously populous and wealthy state with an outsized impact on the culture, economy and politics of the United States, has a gubernatorial election this year. Jerry Brown, who has served a total of four terms and is the son of a former two-term California governor, isn’t running for reelection due to term limits.

Michael Shellenberger has decided that he is the right person to serve as Governor of the great state of California. At this point in the campaign, even some of his biggest fans don’t give him much of a chance. He has never run for elective office and does not have a conventional political machine.

He does, however, have a substantial amount of name recognition, ever-improving oratorical skills, and a powerful message that is embodied in his campaign’s slogan “Give Change a Chance.”

His initial platform is one of opposition to corruption, support for housing crisis solutions, improvements to the educational system and – the reason his campaign rates coverage here – support for abundant clean energy that includes keeping Diablo Canyon operating, taking action to repair and restore San Onofre, and enabling the construction of new, advanced nuclear power plants.

Gwyneth Cravens , Michael Shellenberger and friends lock and block traffic

Abundant, affordable and clean energy can provide the resources and jobs required to revive California’s Dream. A Shellenberger victory in California would have a positive impact on the future prospects of U.S. atomic energy development that would be difficult to overstate.

Shellenberger sees California as an incredible state blessed with many natural gifts, including a dynamic, diverse, progressive population. As he told Dave Rubin during a recent interview on the Rubin Report, he also believes that the political system is broken and terribly skewed in favor of the tiny slice of people at the top, some marginally effective programs for people at the bottom, and not much benefit at all for the majority of the people in the middle.

He calls the establishment Democrats “country club” liberals. He believes it is insane to have a system where just 17% of the teachers in the state can afford to buy a house near their schools. He worries about the state’s ability to continue to function at all when other public servants cannot afford to live and where even a six figure tech job enables someone to buy or rent a few hundred square feet with little left over for other expenses.

He has courageously touched the third rail of California politics by suggesting that Proposition 13 needs to be revised so that neighbors in virtually identical homes do not receive property tax bills that can differ by factors of 10 or 20 based on the time they purchased their homes.

He’s a lifelong Democrat who grew up in a religious, pacifist family that emphasized the importance of education and service. He has a lifelong love of the natural world, and was once a firmly committed Environmentalist. In recent years, he has reemphasized his humanist leanings and helped to develop a new school of thought known as Ecomodernism. Though he initially considered running for office as an independent, he has determined that he will run as a Democrat.

For those with a reasonable understanding of current California politics, it is a big stretch to imagine success for an outsider who is not already well entrenched in the Democratic machine. However, California voters enacted a law in 2010 that provides a large enough opening to enable someone like Mike to surprise everyone with an upset victory.

That law created a unique system for choosing the candidates that will appear on the November ballot. In June, there will be a primary that is open to all registered voters without respect to any declared party affiliation. All of the people who have properly registered to run by the filing deadline of March 9 and have paid all of the required fees will be listed on the ballot. Their party affiliation, if any, will be listed next to their name on the ballot.

The top two candidates, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to the general election.

In such a contest, name recognition will be important, but so will the candidate’s ability to reach the voters and explain why they are the correct choice. The system offers some intriguing possibilities for people skilled in the art of attracting attention on social media platforms. Michael is a recognized star on the Internet.

EMC Research conducted a pool of likely voters at the end of February. Michael Shellenberger was number 5 on the list in terms of name recognition, which isn’t a bad start considering the large size of the field (somewhere greater than a dozen candidates) and the early stage of the formal campaign season. Of course, some of the front runners have been campaigning or positioning themselves for the office for careers lasting decades.

Micheal Shellenberger tells Cal Poly audience how nuclear fear began. How will it end?

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Michael Shellenberger, the director of Environmental Progress, recently gave a talk at Cal Poly titled How Fear of Nuclear Ends. As usual, Michael did a terrific job of presenting the talk and provides excellent graphics in support of his primary discussion points. There is, not surprisingly, more to the story he told. After all, he […]

CGNP granted “seat at table” for two CPUC proceedings involving Diablo Canyon

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Californians for Green Nuclear Power (CGNP) has assembled a persistent, dedicated and skilled team of engineers, scientists, retired public servants and interested citizens who are certain that nuclear energy is a valuable economic and environmental resource. They have invested a considerable amount of time learning the details of the technology but they have not ignored […]

California Renewables Mandates And “Non-bypassable Charges” Make Diablo Canyon Closure Agreement A Winner For PG&E

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By Rod Adams and Andrea Jennetta Diablo Canyon has joined the growing list of U.S. reactors to be prematurely shutdown as Pacific Gas & Electric announced a closure plan negotiated with a veritable who’s who of anti-nuclear groups captured in a joint proposal that will be filed with California regulators for approval. If that joint […]

Showing up and speaking up for Diablo Canyon and nuclear energy in California

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The California State Lands Commission meeting on June 28, 2016 included a number of articulate, knowledgable, rational and emotional talks by people who took time to attend the meeting and to deliver their public comments. Some had carefully prepared remarks, others spoke directly from their hearts. Some had a prop or a graph, others relied […]

Holding State Lands Commission accountable

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Kirk Gothier is one of the skilled former public servants that has joined Californians for Green Nuclear Power. He is putting his deep experience as a community development planner to good use during his retirement years. A brief summary of his experience can be found here. Like other members of CGNP, Kirk is passionately concerned […]

Why Diablo Destruction Deal Will Fail

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This morning I received a press release from the Natural Resources Defense Council bragging about signing a deal with PG&E that — if approved by the California Public Utilities Commission — would result in the plant’s license extension application being withdrawn. Without the extension, California would lose the last nuclear plant operating in the state […]