AI6YR Ben

LA Times: PG&E is overcharging Californians to keep Diablo Canyon open, report alleges

"...A new report alleges Pacific Gas & Electric inflated costs when it requested a loan for Diablo Canyon, potentially creating a $685.6-million cost to taxpayers if lawmakers don’t intervene.
If ratepayer fees for Diablo Canyon were eliminated from 2027-30, experts say, California utility customers could save an estimated $1.84 billion in controversial subsidies...."

(PAYWALL)
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2026-04-07/pge-overcharging-diablo-canyon-report

#nukes #diablocanyon #powergrid #grid

PG&E overcharging Californians to keep Diablo Canyon open, report says

Eliminating fees for Diablo Canyon from 2027 to 2030 could save utility customers an estimated $1.84 billion.

Los Angeles Times
Apr 8 at 2:31pmWeb
Show threadJim Hubbell3d ago
@ai6yr
Remember when nuclear power was advertised as being too cheap to meter? Jimmy remembers.
Show threadNature Punk3d ago

@Dougfir @ai6yr it's normal for the UK to generate more power from wind alone over night to power every home (about 40% of all needed) and sometimes lots more with more wind and solar going in every week yet successive governments have locked us into long term expensive nuclear contracts including a brand new reactor we should be planning to never need

Imagine if that money went into saving loses instead of new generation.

Better is possible.

Show threadMisuse Case3d ago
@Dougfir @ai6yr It seems that the actual issue here is financial fraud on the part of PG&E, irrespective of what kind of power plant it is.
Show threadJim Hubbell3d ago
@MisuseCase @ai6yr
If nuclear power was as cheap as promised, they would not have to use less than ethical means to pay for it.
Show threadMisuse Case3d ago

@Dougfir @ai6yr This is silly because a company can do this kind of financial fraud for a solar farm or offshore wind installation or whatever. And they definitely do it for fossil fuel infrastructure!

EDIT: Oh I forgot! Solyndra was an infamous case of financial fraud in the renewables sector. It was a big scandal at the time!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solyndra

Solyndra - Wikipedia

Show threadJim Hubbell3d ago
@MisuseCase @ai6yr
Well you are right. Isn't there some state agency that is supposed to prevent this?
Show threadMisuse Case3d ago
@Dougfir @ai6yr Honestly I think the best way to fix a lot of this is to nationalize utilities. Just get the profit motive out of it.
Show threadtom jennings3d ago

@ai6yr

Pernicious Graft & Extortion.

Show threadandybrwn3d ago
@ai6yr PG&E just recently filed an application with CPUC for the next period of cost recovery, so I expect this paper will get some attention. Also, while the NRC approved continued operations, the CA Legislature has to act to extend the operations since it was slated to get retired due to once-through-cooling impacts (i.e. fish killing)
Show threadjj the Santa Barbarian3d ago
@ai6yr ah, yes. The nuke plant built on a fault line