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    California governor signs bill to keep last reactors running

    LOS ANGELES (AP) – California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Friday intended to open the way for the state’s last operating nuclear power plant to run an additional five years, a move that he said was needed to ward off possible blackouts as the state transitions to renewable sources.

    His endorsement came after the plan was approved in the state Assembly and Senate, and despite criticism from environmentalists that the plant was dangerous.

    Newsom has no direct authority over the plant, which sits on a bluff above the Pacific midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

    Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E must obtain approval from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which oversees plant safety, as well as a string of state agencies.

    There are other questions, including whether PG&E will qualify for a share of USD6 billion the Biden administration set aside to rescue nuclear plants.

    PG&E officials have said they are eager for certainty about the plant’s future because of the difficulty of reversing course on a plant that was headed for retirement.

    Among the challenges: obtaining sufficient nuclear fuel and casks to store spent fuel, which can take up to two years.

    Newsom’s plan also restarted a long-running debate over seismic safety at the site.

    Critics said potential shaking from nearby earthquake faults not recognised when the design was first approved – one nearby fault was not discovered until 2008 – could damage equipment and release radiation. PG&E has long said the plant is safe, an assessment that the NRC has supported.

    Also unknown is how much it will cost to update the plant. PG&E has been deferring maintenance because the plant was expected to close by 2025.

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