Diablo Canyon unit 1 returns to full power following planned outage

May 31, 2014


AVILA BEACH, Calif.— Operators at Pacific Gas and Electric Company's (PG&E) Diablo Canyon Power Plant returned Unit 1 to full power on March 29, 2014. The unit was taken offline on Feb. 9 for a planned refueling and maintenance outage.

 

During the project about 1,000 contract workers joined PG&E employees in performing nearly 12,000 work activities, including a refueling of Unit 1, equipment upgrades, extensive safety inspections and tests, and numerous plant improvements. In total, 135,000 hours of work was safely completed in support of the continued reliable operation of the clean energy facility.

 

In a typical year, at least one of Diablo Canyon's two reactor units undergo a planned refueling and maintenance outage. However, once every five years both units are refueled in the same year due to their separate operating schedules. Such an occurrence will take place in 2014 when Unit 2 is refueled this fall.

 

Diablo Canyon Unit 2 continues to operate at full power.

About Diablo Canyon Power Plant

Diablo Canyon Power Plant is a nuclear power facility owned and operated by PG&E. Its two units together produce approximately 2,300 net megawatts of carbon-free power. It provides nearly 10 percent of all electricity generated in California, and enough energy to meet the needs of more than three million Northern and Central Californians. Diablo Canyon has a $920 million annual local economic impact and is the largest private employer in San Luis Obispo County.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation's cleanest energy to 15 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit http://www.pge.com/about/newsroom/ and www.pgecurrents.com.