Diablo Canyon Power Plant Decommissioning
In 2016, PG&E decided not to renew the Nuclear Regulatory Commission licenses for the Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP). The California Public Utilities Commission approved the plant’s retirement in 2018. As a result, the power plant will cease operating upon the expiration of the Unit 1 and Unit 2 operating licenses, in November 2024 and August 2025, respectively.
PG&E then intends to begin decommissioning the power plant. PG&E submitted a land use permit application to the County in March 2021 for the decommissioning effort. An application supplement was submitted by PG&E on July 8, 2021, in response to the County’s request for additional application information. A third application filing was submitted by PG&E on October 6, 2021, responding to additional County comments. On October 27, 2021, the County accepted PG&E’s application, thus initiating the environmental review process pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act.
The DCPP Decommissioning Project application files in CSS have been re-named using a prefix system that enables sorting of the files into chronological order, grouped by PG&E and County.
A User Guide titled “1. CSS USER GUIDE” has been uploaded to the CSS, along with a File Index titled “2. CSS APPL FILE INDEX”, intended to assist the public with identifying the application files in CSS. The File Index provides the new file name with prefix, the previous file name, and additional reference information on file content. The User Guide can be accessed here: DRC2021-00092 CSS User Guide (sloplanning.org). PG&E’s application materials can be accessed using the link below, or by using the link within the CSS User Guide.
Project Contacts
For questions or comments please contact: [email protected]
Susan Strachan | Power Plant Decommissioning Manager
Cindy Chambers | Senior Planner
Carrie Sisto | Principal Environmental Specialist
Project Updates
Notice of Public Meeting
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Public Meeting on Diablo Canyon Power Plant Post Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Report on July 21, 2022
The NRC will host an in-person public meeting at the San Luis Obispo County Government Center, 1055 Monterey Street, on July 21, 2022 from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM (PDT) to review and receive public comment on the Post Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Report (PSDAR) for the Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP). The public meeting was originally scheduled for March 19, 2020 and was postponed due to concerns with coronavirus. Members of the public can also participate in the meeting online.
The PSDAR, along with the Site-Specific Decommissioning Cost Estimate (SSDCE) and the Irradiated Fuel Management Plan (IFMP), provide an overview of PG&E’s planned decommissioning activities, schedule, projected costs, and environmental impacts for the decommissioning of Diablo Canyon Power Plant. The NRC is required to hold a public meeting to receive public comment on the above documents as part of the decommissioning process.
Public comments must be received by October 19, 2022 to be assured that they are considered.
View NRC Public Meeting Information
View Federal Register Notice
View Information on the NRC Decommissioning Process
Links to Documents
Diablo Canyon Power Plant Decommissioning EIR
On October 28, 2021, the County issued a Notice of Preparation, which is a notice for soliciting agency, organization, and public input and initiation of scoping for the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the DCPP Decommissioning Project. The Notice of Preparation can be accessed here.
The County held five (5) virtual EIR scoping meetings to enable agencies, organizations, and interested members of the public to obtain information about the project, ask questions, and provide oral comments on the scope and content of the EIR.
The scoping meeting presentation can be accessed here
Video recordings of the Scoping Meetings can be accessed here
It is anticipated that the Draft EIR will be available for public review in Winter 2022/2023.
Project Milestones
| Project Milestone |
Time Frame |
| PG&E Land Use Application Submitted |
March 29, 2021 |
| Application Accepted by County |
October 27, 2021 |
| Notice of Preparation Issued |
October 28, 2021 |
| Environmental Impact Report Scoping Comment Period |
October 28, 2021 - December 6, 2021 |
| Preparation of Draft Environmental Impact Report |
In Progress |
If you'd like to receive notifications and updates on the project, please provide your name and email address below:
Public Information and Permit Processing Online Services
For Department News and Updates
Housing is Key
