Diablo Canyon, California's last operating nuclear power plant, is at the center of a significant policy shift as state leaders reconsider their approach to carbon-free energy generation. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved extending Diablo Canyon's operating license through 2045, and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has cited the plant's continuation as one of his climate accomplishments.
In May, all seven candidates in California's gubernatorial debate said they supported keeping Diablo Canyon operating past its original 2030 retirement date—a stark reversal from 2016 when California announced plans to retire the facility. The change reflects growing recognition that nuclear power offers reliable around-the-clock electricity generation without carbon emissions, a factor increasingly important as extreme heat and wildfires strain the state's grid.
What the Right Is Saying
Supporters argue that nuclear power provides reliable baseload electricity that complements solar and wind generation, which produce no power during nighttime hours or calm weather. They point out that Diablo Canyon supplies 8.5 percent of California's electricity with minimal climate impact compared to fossil fuel alternatives. Since Three Mile Island, operators have implemented more rigorous training, improved control rooms and emergency procedures, and newer reactor designs rely on redundant and passive safety systems.
Conservative commentators and energy experts contend the anti-nuclear stance has become outdated as technology has advanced. A student group at California Polytechnic State University, located 20 miles from Diablo Canyon, organized to support keeping the plant open and reports widespread agreement among fellow students in favor of continuation.
What the Left Is Saying
Environmental organizations including Friends of the Earth, Sierra Club, and Greenpeace remain opposed to extending Diablo Canyon's operations. Friends of the Earth was part of the 2016 retirement agreement and sued the Department of Energy over federal funding for the plant's continuation. The Environmental Working Group published a report calling Diablo Canyon 'costly and dangerous' and joined other groups in alleging that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's license extension was unlawful.
These organizations raise concerns about radioactive waste storage, water use in drought-prone California, and uranium mining impacts. They note that up to two-thirds of U.S. uranium deposits are on indigenous land, with Navajo communities experiencing lasting consequences from Cold War-era mining including contaminated homes and hundreds of abandoned mines not yet remediated. Environment America's California chapter called the plant's federal subsidies 'bad news for the environment' and remains committed to the 2016 closure agreement.
What the Numbers Show
Nuclear power provides approximately 20 percent of U.S. electricity with just 93 reactors operating since 1990. Three times since March 2025, renewables and nuclear combined powered more than half of America's electric grid for a full month. According to 2023 estimates from energy analysts, levelized costs of electricity were $110 per megawatt-hour for advanced nuclear compared to $55/MWh for photovoltaic solar and $40/MWh for onshore wind.
Public support for nuclear has reached record highs, with roughly half of Americans aged 18-34 favoring constructing a nuclear energy plant in their own community. By comparison, only 41 percent of Americans identified as environmentalists in 2021, down from 78 percent in 1991—a trend some analysts attribute to the movement's perceived inability to adapt to current challenges.
The Bottom Line
California's reversal on Diablo Canyon represents a notable shift in how the state approaches climate policy. With record heatwaves and wildfires driving energy demand while fossil fuel phaseouts proceed, nuclear power offers carbon-free generation that operates continuously regardless of weather or time of day. What happens next with legacy environmental organizations' stance toward nuclear could shape their credibility with younger generations who show higher support for the technology than older members. The extension through 2045 means Diablo Canyon will remain a central topic in California's energy debate for years to come.