About the facility

The Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) sits on approximately 1,000 acres on the Pacific coast. It has operated safely since 1985. The DCPP contains two Westinghouse Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) units that are licensed until 2024 and 2025, respectively.

• The two units produce a total of 18,000 gigawatt-hours of clean and reliable electricity annually.
• This is enough energy to meet the needs of more than 3 million Californians (nearly 10% of California's energy portfolio and 20% of the power that PG&E provides throughout its service area).
  

DCPP has continued to safely produce clean and reliable energy without greenhouse gases (GHG).

• Every year it operates, DCPP saves 6-7 million tons of GHGs from entering the atmosphere via conventional generation resources.

Built to withstand extreme natural disasters, including earthquakes, Diablo Canyon’s design features state-of-the-art seismic supports.

• Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspectors continually inspect and assess the facility. This ensures that the facility’s systems are operating safely and efficiently each and every day.
  
• Safety will always be the most important responsibility at PG&E and Diablo Canyon. The plant has an excellent safety operating record. The NRC's current assessment places it among the highest performing plants in the nation.

Serving our planet

DCPP emits no GHGs during the production of electricity, while providing safe and reliable energy to millions of Californians. Diablo Canyon generates:

• 17 percent of California's zero-carbon electricity
• Nearly 9 percent of the state's total electricity supply

Diablo Canyon is located on one of the most scenic and habitat-rich coastlines in the country.

• It is surrounded by roughly 12,000 acres of land.
• The land, ocean and intertidal zones are managed by PG&E. They are largely maintained in a natural state and home to many species of plant and animal wildlife. 
• PG&E's responsible stewardship of this precious natural resource allows for scientists and others to explore its habitat and ecology.
• Our marine biological study is the longest running study of its kind in the U.S.

As part of our stewardship practices and commitment to the community, we provide hiking opportunities through two spectacular coastal trails on this land: the Pecho Coast and the Point Buchon trails.

Quick links

• California Energy Commission
• California Air Resources Board
• U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• U.S. Department of Energy
• U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration

Used fuel storage

Fuel in both the wet and dry storage formats is stored in accordance with stringent requirements put into place by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

• In the first quarter of 2020, PG&E issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a new spent fuel storage system to address how fuel is handled going forward.
• If this technology can be implemented, it would expedite the used fuel storage process by several years.

How DCPP safely stores fuel

1. After nuclear fuel is used to produce electricity at Diablo Canyon, it is placed in wet storage pools located inside the plant's fuel handling building.
2. The fuel is then moved to the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) site where it's safely stored in a dry storage format.
   • This facility is located east of the power plant. 
   • It has a separate license from the U.S. NRC.
3. The fuel is stored at the Diablo Canyon ISFSI on an interim basis. It will eventually be transferred to the federal government's repository—once established—for long-term storage.

Tour Diablo Canyon, California’s only operating nuclear power plant

We are proud to share California’s largest clean energy supplier with our community. Diablo Canyon’s interactive, guided site tours are designed to educate the public about nuclear energy. They also give a first-hand look at our facility that generates enough energy for 3 million Californians. Our tour program currently focuses on educational programs, STEM groups, community organizations and bundled group tours.

If your group is interested in touring the facility, complete this form and a team member will process your request for approval: Diablo Canyon Power Plant Tour Request (office.com).

For more questions, reach out to diablocanyontours@pge.com

Status of continued operations at Diablo Canyon Power Plant

PG&E is scheduled to discontinue its power operations at Diablo Canyon upon the expiration of the Unit 1 and Unit 2 operating licenses, in November 2024 and August 2025, respectively.

However, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation in September 2022 seeking to extend operations at DCPP beyond its current license period.

• This will help ensure electricity reliability and combat climate change as California continues toward its clean energy future.
• In November 2023, in line with state direction, PG&E submitted an application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to renew DCPP’s operating licenses.
• The NRC’s review of the application is a multi-year process with opportunities for public involvement.
• More information about the license renewal process can be found at the NRC’s website: Reactor License Renewal | NRC.gov.

Get involved

Stay informed through the resources below. You may also contact PG&E with questions or input at diablodecommissioningquestions@pge.com.

Decommissioning leadership team

The DCPP Decommissioning team is located in San Luis Obispo County. Contact the team by email at tom.jones@pge.com.

Maureen Zawalick

Vice President of Business and Technical Services

• Overall strategic direction and oversight
• Asset project strategy
• Regulatory and risk management

Brian Ketelsen

Director of Business and Technical Services

• Decommissioning planning
• Decommissioning implementation
• Project planning, engineering and estimating

Tom Jones

Senior Director of Regulatory, Environmental and Repurposing

• Regulatory activities
• Community outreach and engagement
• Governmental oversight Humboldt Bay Power Plant regulatory and community

Future uses for the Diablo Canyon Power Plant site

PG&E intends to begin active decommissioning of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) in 2025 and to complete the project in one decade. We are currently soliciting ideas for the future repurposing of the facilities and the repurposing or conservation of the lands. Download the PG&E Outreach Plan for Diablo Lands Conservation and Facilities Repurposing (PDF)

Learn about PG&E and DCPP programs for seismic and tsunami safety

Extensive scientific re-evaluations performed at the direction of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) continue to show that Diablo Canyon can safely withstand earthquakes, tsunamis and flooding that could potentially occur in the region.

Safety is, and always will be, a core value for PG&E and the Diablo Canyon Power Plant. That's why seismic, tsunami and flooding safety was at the forefront in the design of the facility.

It's also why PG&E maintains a Long Term Seismic Program (LTSP) for Diablo Canyon. The LTSP is a unique program in the U.S. commercial nuclear power plant industry. It is comprised of a geosciences team of professionals who partner with independent seismic experts on an ongoing basis to evaluate regional geology and global seismic and tsunami events to ensure the facility remains safe. In September 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation seeking to extend operations at DCPP beyond its current license period to help ensure electricity reliability for all Californians. As part of this legislation, PG&E will conduct an updated seismic assessment and submit the results to the California Public Utilities Commission.

Because of the LTSP and decades of industry-leading research, the seismic region around Diablo Canyon is among the most studied and understood areas in the nation.

Learn more about Diablo Canyon's seismic safety

We are often asked if Diablo Canyon can withstand earthquakes. The answer is yes. To learn how, watch "Yes, Diablo Canyon Can Safely Withstand Earthquakes."

Watch DCPP's seismic safety video on YouTube
Download a transcript (PDF)

More about seismic safety

For more information, download these reports:

• Download seismic hazard re-evaluation report (ZIP)
• Download flooding hazard re-evaluation report (PDF)
• Download seismic & flooding hazards re-evaluation (PDF)
• Download Diablo Canyon advanced seismic studies report fact sheet (PDF)
• Download Diablo Canyon advanced seismic studies (PDF)