It’s official … California’s largest utility (PG&E) announced it has applied to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to renew Diablo Canyon’s license and postpone the planned 2025 shutdown of the San Luis Obispo County plant, which supplies about 9% of the state’s power.

Governor Newsome appealed to California lawmakers to keep Diablo Canyon alive to prevent rolling blackouts. Because the California power grid is increasingly reliant on solar and other renewable energy sources it has become vulnerable to shortages during extreme heat waves, as in August 2020, when solar power fades in early evening but temperatures remain high.

Paul Gerfen, the PG&E’s chief nuclear officer, said, “This request to renew our licenses is another step to help California reliably achieve its bold decarbonization goals.”