Diablo Canyon Fact Sheet
Pacific Gas and Electric Company's Diablo Canyon Power Plant, located in San Luis Obispo County, provides electricity for more than 2 million northern and central Californians from its two 1,100 megawatt units. 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. Over its lifetime, Diablo Canyon has been up and running more than 80 percent of the time, compared with the national average of 70 percent for the nuclear industry. Pacific Gas and Electric Company is working to make Diablo Canyon a valuable and dependable part of California's energy mix, and a benefit to the Central Coast for the long term.
Key Facts
Diablo Canyon Power Plant's operation has a direct local economic impact ofmore than $160 million a year, as follows:
- Diablo Canyon employs 1,200 full-time workers with an annual payroll of about $100 million, making it one of the largest private employers on the Central Coast.
- Diablo Canyon spends $10 to $12 million locally each year on services and supplies.
- Diablo Canyon contributes another $10 to $12 million in wages (about one-third of that amount to local residents) each time a unit is refueled.
- In 1998-99 Diablo Canyon's property taxes resulted in $34.8 million to San Luis Obispo County.
- Employees and the company are responsible for almost $500,000 in local charitable contributions annually. Diablo Canyon employees are frequent volunteers to community and nonprofit groups.
March 2001
