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San Onofre Nuclear Plant Will Be Closed Permanently
The sun sets on San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
San Onofre's nuclear power plant, which has been offline since January 2012 because of safety issues, will be permanently closed.
Southern California Edison today announced plans to close the 40-year-old nuclear generating station.
NRDC Legal Director for Western Energy and Climate Projects, Kristin Eberhard released the following statement:
SoCal Edison realizes we have better energy options than nuclear and it's futile to pump money into an outdated technology.
Instead of putting Band-Aids on a nuclear plant built decades ago, the company decided to better serve its customers and its shareholders by moving forward with a portfolio dominated by energy efficiency and other clean energy solutions.
Other energy providers also struggling with aging and outmoded nuclear plants elsewhere can learn from SoCal Edison, and listen to what the majority of Americans say they want: less costly, better, safer, more modern options to nuclear.
“While this was a difficult decision—and substitute power may be more expensive for California ratepayers—I firmly believe this is the right thing to do for the more than 7 million Californians who live within 50 miles of San Onofre," Feinstein said. "There was too much uncertainty in restarting San Onofre at this time, and I commend Southern California Edison for selecting the safest option for Southern California.”
The LA Times reports that the decision wasn't just one of safety, but was primarily a financial one.
Related:
Senator Wants Probe Into Safety of San Onofre Plant Following That 'Tiny' Leak
OC Residents Want Independent Radiation Monitors After 'Tiny' Leak at San Onofre Nuclear Reactor
Nuclear Reactor at San Onofre Remains Offline After "very, very low level'' of Radioactivity Escaped
Federal Regulators Deem San Onofre Nuclear Plant 'Low Risk'
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