Diablo Canyon Power Plant
PG&E's Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) is located in San Luis Obispo County, California. Situated along the Central Pacific Coast, DCPP is a vital part of the electricity produced in and for California and an integral part of the Central Coast's economy.
Key Facts
- Diablo Canyon provides low cost, emission-free electricity for more than 3.0 million northern and central California homes.
- Since beginning commercial operation in 1985, Diablo Canyon has been one of the safest and most efficient nuclear power plants in the nation. The plant consistently receives high safety ratings from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as well as high safety and performance ratings from the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations. Our most important responsibility is to assure that we continue, and improve upon, this safety and operating record.
- As a major employer and purchaser of goods and services, DCPP has a total economic impact of over $600 million annually for San Luis Obispo County and another $100 million for the state of California.
- Nuclear power plants like Diablo Canyon create no air emissions during the production of electricity. They also add to our energy diversity, reducing dependence on a single source of electricity.
- Diablo Canyon employs a large staff of highly trained and well-armed security officers. These company employees are aided in their efforts by sophisticated electronic security and surveillance systems, as well as by defenses that are similar to “hardened” military facilities. Security is further enhanced by our remote location; miles from the nearest public road, with a buffer zone consisting of thousands of acres of land controlled by our paramilitary type security force.
- DCPP is one the strongest structures on the face of the earth; built to withstand the largest earthquake deemed credible from the nearest earthquake fault. PG&E is the only utility in the country that employees a fully staffed seismic department with a mission to continually assess the current state of seismic knowledge as well as large earthquakes around the world. This information is then applied to DCPP so we can be sure that the facility remains safe based on up to date science.
- At the half way point in its NRC operating license of 40 years, the utility plans to invest approximately $1 billion in DCPP through the end of this decade to assure continued safe and efficient operation during the second half of its life. The major capital projects are as follows:
- Construction of an NRC-approved used-fuel storage facility: This project, which is near the plant, is consistent with what many other nuclear power plants in the U.S. have already done. In 2005 the Utility received final approval to move forward with construction. In the event a national repository for used nuclear fuel is not available, this phased project would allow for onsite storage of all of the used fuel generated by the plant through its current operating license, which ends in 2025.
- Replacement of steam generators for both units: Steam generators are vital for the safe and efficient operation of the plant, and the current ones are reaching the end of their useful life. The California Public Utilities Commission has given tentative approval for this project, finding that it is a benefit to customers over other alternatives.
- Replacement of turbines: Replacing the existing turbines on both units is a necessary part of maintaining a highly efficient generator like DCPP. The new design of turbines will help achieve greater efficiencies, providing better performance and increased reliability through the end of the licensed life.
- PG&E and its employees make charitable contributions in excess of $250,000 annually to the community. In addition, many of its employees volunteer with after school athletic programs, environmental organizations, churches, Boy & Girl Scouts and other community organizations.
- DCPP is located on some of the most scenic and habitat-rich coastlines in the country. It is surrounded by roughly 12,000 acres of land which is managed by the Utility and largely maintained in a natural state as a home to many species of plant and animal wildlife that thrive on land as well as in the ocean and intertidal zones. This precious natural resource allows for scientists and others to explore its habitat and ecology.
