Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and the Diablo Canyon Decommissioning Engagement Panel (DCDEP) today announced the appointment of two new members to the DCDEP, and the reappointment of one member.

The panel provides community input to PG&E for the eventual site-specific plan for the future decommissioning of Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) and spent fuel management upon decommissioning. All operating nuclear power plants in the U.S. have a plan for eventual decommissioning efforts of their facilities.

The new appointees – David Houghton and Linda Vanasupa — will begin their three-year terms in May of 2024. Dena Bellman has been reappointed. Additionally, Tom Jones, PG&E’s Senior Director of Regulatory, Environmental, and Repurposing, will now serve as the PG&E representative on the panel and Susan Strachan, SLO County’s Decommissioning Manager, will serve as an Ex-Officio representing the County.

Background of David Houghton

David is a consulting engineer and a member of the adjunct faculty at Cal Poly where he teaches courses on mechanical and electrical systems for buildings with a focus on energy use, utility interactions, zero-net-energy buildings, and real-world lessons from three decades of engineering experience. He also teaches courses on transportation engineering, computer programming for engineering applications, and a graduate-level course on airport planning and design. He currently sits on the City of San Luis Obispo Planning Commission.

Background of Linda Vanasupa

Linda is a Professor Emeritus of materials engineering at Cal Poly and has been a resident of San Luis Obispo since 1991. Her career work has been in pursuit of a just transition to a regenerative planetary co-existence. During her tenure at Cal Poly, she co-led community-engaged initiatives on sustainability. She is also a Distinguished Academic Partner to Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in the Boston area, where she continues her collaborations in socially-just engineering.

DCDEP members will now include:

• Dena Bellman, Pismo Beach
• Gerry Finn, Paso Robles
• David Houghton, San Luis Obispo
• Jessica Kendrick, Atascadero
• Patrick Lemieux, San Luis Obispo
• Michael Lucas, Morro Bay
• Linda Seeley, Los Osos
• G. Bruce Severance, Grover Beach
• Frances Romero, GuadalupeInternal
• Kara Woodruff, San Luis Obispo
• Linda Vanasupa, San Luis Obispo
• Chuck Anders, (Facilitator)
• Scott Lathrop, San Luis Obispo (Ex Officio)
• Susan Strachan, San Luis Obispo County (Ex Officio)
• Tom Jones, Atascadero (PG&E)

As part of a highly competitive process, currently seated panel members, PG&E representatives and a representative of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) conducted in-depth reviews of applications from community members who broadly reflect the diverse community viewpoints in proximity to DCPP. Since its creation in 2018, nearly 300 community members have submitted applications for panel membership.

“The selection committee was very impressed with the quality and qualifications of those who applied, and we thank those who have previously served on the Panel, devoting countless, volunteer hours to this important process,” Chuck Anders, DCDEP facilitator, said. 

About the Panel:

The Diablo Canyon Decommissioning Engagement Panel was created to foster open and frequent dialogue between members of the local community and PG&E on matters related to DCPP decommissioning. Panelists are local community members from across the Central Coast who were selected to broadly represent diverse community viewpoints. The Panel meets periodically on matters related to DCPP decommissioning and the future use of DCPP lands and facilities.