http://www.washingtonexaminer....lose/article/2645672

California’s last nuclear plant will close in 2025, state utility regulators confirmed Thursday, the latest blow to a declining industry that provides nearly two-thirds of America’s carbon-free electricity.

The California Public Utilities Commission unanimously decided to close the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant, even as the state embarks on one of the country’s most aggressive efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. opened Diablo Canyon, the state’s largest power plant, in 1985 despite protests from environmentalists. Diablo Canyon supplies 9 percent of California’s electricity.

Once it closes, California won't have any nuclear plants for the foreseeable future. A state law prevents building more nuclear plants until the federal government devises a long-term solution to handle their waste.

Pacific Gas had already announced it would close Diablo Canyon when its two federal operating licenses expire in 2024 and 2025 as part of an agreement with environmental groups. Per the terms of that deal, Pacific Gas said it would transition Diablo Canyon to produce wind and solar power.

But the utility commission declined to endorse much of that agreement, approving less money to retain and retrain its employees, and providing no requirement that the plant’s nuclear power be replaced by renewable energy.

“What will happen in California is what we’ve seen happen in every other place when nuclear plants are taken offline,” said Rich Powell, executive director of ClearPath Foundation, which advocates for clean energy. “People say we will replace nuclear with renewables and efficiency standards, but it ends up getting replaced largely by unmitigated fossil fuels.”

Nearly 20 percent of the nation’s electricity is provided by nuclear energy.

Windmills, hampster wheels,scented candles, and positive waves.

So California will soon have electricity shortages to go along with their water shortages. Sounds wonderful.....perhaps between no water, no electricity and even more taxes they'll drive every normal person out of that state!

Not like eletric demand is going to slacken. I wonder what will happen to default KWH rates?

The Venezuelization of California...

Getting rid of nuclear waste is a big problem. Storing it until is no longer reactive takes about 20 half-lives, which is 400,000 years for a fast decaying nuclear material.

California has tons of sunshine, more solar energy systems would help.

One friend lived in Jerusalem for a few years. He tells me all the houses have solar panels plus black containers for heating water, on their roofs. Almost all the houses are net-zero for electricity and water heating. They only need propane for cooking. I am not sure about AC systems though.

A different friend works for Pacific Gas and Electricity in Cali. He pays $5 a year for electricity because he has solar panels on his own roof and he essentially breaks even every year.

Californians need to get used to living in the dark and paying quadruple what everyone else pays for everything. With the leadership they have in Sacramento, catastrophe is all but insured.

No matter how many windmills CA puts up, the blow will never overcome the suck.

I'm for nuclear power. But Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power is apparently near several earthquake fault lines, one of which is 2,000 feet from the reactors.

Apparently, the design or safety assessment of the design didn't take the faults into account. I don't know if there is any substantive refutation to these claims about the proximity and safety assessment.

Probably less than optimal to have a nuclear reactor located on a seismic fault zone like the California coast.

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:
I'm for nuclear power. But Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power is apparently near several earthquake fault lines, one of which is 2,000 feet from the reactors.

Apparently, the design or safety assessment of the design didn't take the faults into account. I don't know if there is any substantive refutation to these claims about the proximity and safety assessment.

Closing Diablo Canyon might be situationally sound, but it's only part of the bigger picture. Nuclear power, like all other technologies, makes advances over time. I don't know enough about the more modern designs, but I do know that demand for electricity in California is not going to decrease.

As of now, building nuclear power plants on the West Coast seems like a regulatory no-go, as is the construction of new hydro-electric dams. That leaves fossil fuel and less productive "green" sources.

It all comes from somewhere, until it doesn't and then you get rolling blackouts.

quote:

Originally posted by sdy:
http://www.washingtonexaminer....lose/article/2645672

California’s last nuclear plant will close in 2025, state utility regulators confirmed Thursday, the latest blow to a declining industry that provides nearly two-thirds of America’s carbon-free electricity.
.......
Nearly 20 percent of the nation’s electricity is provided by nuclear energy.

I'm confused. Two-thirds of American homes are supplied by nuclear energy, yet it only amounts to 20% of total energy supplied. Mistake, or does nuclear power, power mostly business and industry and that consumption is way higher than homes?

Commercial nuclear power has been a socialist experiment from the get-go, so it's not surprising it can't compete in the marketplace without an steady infusion of tax dollars and government-backed loans.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:

quote:

Originally posted by sdy:
http://www.washingtonexaminer....lose/article/2645672

California’s last nuclear plant will close in 2025, state utility regulators confirmed Thursday, the latest blow to a declining industry that provides nearly two-thirds of America’s carbon-free electricity.
.......
Nearly 20 percent of the nation’s electricity is provided by nuclear energy.

I'm confused. Two-thirds of American homes are supplied by nuclear energy, yet it only amounts to 20% of total energy supplied. Mistake, or does nuclear power, power mostly business and industry and that consumption is way higher than homes?

Besides nuclear, 'carbon-free' would also include wind, solar and hydro. There may be others as well, such as waste-to-energy, biomass, methane, etc, depending on how narrowly (or loosely) they're defining 'carbon-free'.

Don't forget, the media is always willing to twist definitions to suit their needs/agenda and/or sensationalize a story. Without actually knowing the definition, the writer might even think that 'carbon-free' just sounds cool when in reality, they mean anything that's not fossil fuel based!

quote:

Originally posted by divil:
Not like eletric demand is going to slacken. I wonder what will happen to default KWH rates?

Or the rolling black outs in the summer heat. That too will be someone else's fault, and Moonbeam and crew will legislate an answer to a problem they created.

CA buys much of it's electricity from Mexico, AZ and NV, while they claim to be moving to "Carbon Free" power the fact is they just transferred the carbon creation out of state, it's a pretty good marketing method for the enviro-mental groups to claim they are carbon free.

Until solar releases a panel cell that will significantly increase the amount of power produced solar isn't a solution for a commercial power grid, the foot print is huge and the cost of land in CA even greater, it would have to be out in the desert areas and probably the size of nevada to make enough power to keep LA running.

Just wait until the non fossil fuel car law goes into effect, no new power plants on the horizon, not enough now to keep from getting rolling brown outs during peak use times, not enough enviro consumers in CA putting up solar since the cost benefit is zero or negative means not enough power.

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:

quote:

Originally posted by sdy:
http://www.washingtonexaminer....lose/article/2645672

California’s last nuclear plant will close in 2025, state utility regulators confirmed Thursday, the latest blow to a declining industry that provides nearly two-thirds of America’s carbon-free electricity.
.......
Nearly 20 percent of the nation’s electricity is provided by nuclear energy.

I'm confused. Two-thirds of American homes are supplied by nuclear energy, yet it only amounts to 20% of total energy supplied. Mistake, or does nuclear power, power mostly business and industry and that consumption is way higher than homes?

Besides nuclear, 'carbon-free' would also include wind, solar and hydro. There may be others as well, such as waste-to-energy, biomass, methane, etc, depending on how narrowly (or loosely) they're defining 'carbon-free'.

Don't forget, the media is always willing to twist definitions to suit their needs/agenda and/or sensationalize a story. Without actually knowing the definition, the writer might even think that 'carbon-free' just sounds cool when in reality, they mean anything that's not fossil fuel based!

Misread it. So it's 2/3 of carbon free and 20% off all electricity produced.

They need fair trade free range electricity ONLY. They'll be able to pull it out of the air. Fo' free.

pfft, freaking Californians.

So now all those electric cars will be powered by clean burning coal, oil and natural gas.

By then, re-roofing and new roofs will be solar shingles. No worry, just money saved.