All three Democrats vying to be California's next U.S. senator expressed support for shutting down the state's last nuclear power plant in their final televised debate this week before next month's primary election.
Rep. Adam Schiff, the current front-runner in the bipartisan primary to replace the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, supports nuclear energy but is worried that the Diablo Canyon power plant will close by the end of the decade. He said he wanted it.
Fellow Democrats Katie Porter and Barbara Lee, who trailed in third and fourth place, respectively, took hard stances against nuclear power during Tuesday's debate.Republican Steve Garvey, second place candidate latest pollvaguely expressed support for nuclear power before launching into a tortuous critique of fossil fuels.
The nation's largest state once provided the energy needs of a growing population. three nuclear power plants. (The fourth facility was closed in the 1970s before the others were built). However, the anti-nuclear movement grew throughout the 1960s, fueled in part by misinformation. confuse Nuclear weapons with fission energy, sincere ideological aspirations limit economic developmentand Hollywood movies sensational and exaggerated Safety risks associated with modern nuclear reactors. The state prioritized shutting down nuclear power plants over fossil fuel stations, even though the need for stable, carbon-free power reactors is increasing as climate change worsens.
Electricity prices in California have skyrocketed since the San Onofre nuclear power plant in San Diego shut down in 2013, leaving Diablo Canyon alone. In 2016, state officials pressured Diablo Canyon's owner, utility giant Pacific Gas & Electric, to reach an agreement to shut down the state's last nuclear power plant in less than a decade. A year later, the California Public Utilities Commission quietly removed The promise of “reasonable fees” in our mission statement.
almost 30 cents per kilowatt hourCalifornia's electricity rates are among the highest in the nation. Above the national average Last year it was more than double. A sample of San Francisco-area posts on the neighborhood forum app Nextdoor shows a resident asking for help after receiving a $175 electric bill for a small one-bedroom apartment.
„Something is wrong!“ the post reads. „I called (PG&E) and they said it was normal.“
![Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant is the last nuclear power plant in California, photographed here on October 25, 2022.](https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/65d7c31d2300003300728acf.jpeg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale)
![Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant is the last nuclear power plant in California, photographed here on October 25, 2022.](https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/65d7c31d2300003300728acf.jpeg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale)
San Luis Obispo Tribune via Getty Images
Diablo Canyon was scheduled to close by 2025 at the latest.
Diablo Canyon, located along the mountainous coast outside of San Luis Obispo, generates nearly 10% of the Golden State's electricity and relies on new energy generated by extreme weather events, electric vehicles, and weather-driven inflows of solar and wind energy. It helps stabilize aging power grids facing demand. .
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) tried to reverse the shutdown as power outages intensified and electricity prices soared. In 2022, the state Legislature passed a bill delaying the closure of Diablo Canyon until 2030. Even activists like Jane Fonda, who campaigned for years to eliminate nuclear power, Supported extensions.
In December, federal regulators accepted Diablo Canyon license renewal. Last month, the Biden administration announced a $1.1 billion aid package to keep factories afloat.
Non-profit organizations such as the Environmental Working Group was previously promoted A study linking vaccines and autism has been debunked, leading to calls for factories to remain open. ”dangerous”
in This week's debate broadcast On NBC's Los Angeles bureau, host Conan Nolan provoked the four candidates with questions that undermined the benefits of nuclear power, but the questions were aimed at presidents, governors and scientists who want to phase out fossil fuels. It was pointed out that it is supported by
“It runs rain or shine. It is independent of the weather. It does not contribute to global warming. We'll take a portion of it,“ said Nolan, NBC4's chief political correspondent. “Do you support expanding Diablo Canyon? And does nuclear power have a role in fighting climate change?”
![(From left) Democratic Sens. Barbara Lee, Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and former baseball player during a televised debate for candidates in the Senate race to succeed the late California Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Candidates with player Steve Garvey on stage.](https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/65d7c3582500005600dba467.jpeg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale)
![(From left) Democratic Sens. Barbara Lee, Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and former baseball player during a televised debate for candidates in the Senate race to succeed the late California Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Candidates with player Steve Garvey on stage.](https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/65d7c3582500005600dba467.jpeg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale)
“Diablo Canyon needs to be safely decommissioned,” she said. “I would close Diablo Canyon.”
Schiff He said he supported the current plan to close Diablo Canyon at the end of 2010, although he said „nuclear power has a role to play in the energy portfolio,“ at least at the national level.
„I support the governor's plan to phase out nuclear power,“ he said. „We're going to have to move to renewable energy. We're going to have to move to wind and solar power.“
Lee, the No. 4 progressive, said he doesn't even support extending Diablo Canyon's lifespan by another five years.
„I don't support nuclear power,“ she said. „I fully support decommissioning.“
Garvey, a former professional baseball star, expressed support for nuclear energy in general, but disparaged the value of oil and gas, saying „the people will decide“ which energy source is best.
PG&E did not return a call Thursday seeking comment on the Senate candidate's statement.
in infrastructure in california It's already exciting Due to climate change, power outages are becoming more common, leaving people who cannot afford expensive batteries and generators without access to key resources needed for everything from communications and transportation to cooking and healthcare. You will be cut off.
“By helping wealthy Californians insulate as much as possible from the effects of their own policy choices, while at the same time lecturing poor Californians that they may not be able to count on electricity in a time of climate crisis, ,” Mark Nelson, a nuclear engineer and co-founder of the consulting firm Radiant Energy, told HuffPost.
and Almost half of Democratic voters Although there is support for nuclear power nationally, the debate showed that „Democrats still don't take energy seriously enough to warrant a transition to nuclear power,“ he said.
„We're still in a time where you can talk about climate without knowing anything about energy,“ Nelson says. „That's not acceptable.“