Press Releases

San Luis Obispo, CA – Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24) announced today that Congress has directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to study public and private funding sources available to decommissioning nuclear powerplants, including the Diablo Canyon Power Plant. The report was included in the Fiscal Year 2019 Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act (H.R. 5895).

“With the impending Diablo Canyon Power Plant closure, I am working to secure all available federal resources to help offset the economic impact of this decommissioning,” said Carbajal. “With this significant challenge also comes an opportunity to designate the Central Coast a renewable energy hub, by attracting new businesses that provide good-paying jobs in our community.”

The DOE study will focus on identifying public and private funds to support municipalities where a nuclear power plant is decommissioned, in the process of decommissioning, or plans to shut down within 3 years of enactment of H.R. 5895, and contains nuclear waste within its boundaries. The bill passed both the House and Senate and is set to be signed into law by the President.

Earlier this year, Carbajal introduced the Energy Opportunity Zones Act to create energy opportunity zones for the renewable energy industry in regions impacted by nuclear power plant closures. H.R. 5441 would extend tax credits as well as introduce a new credit to encourage renewable energy business development in San Luis Obispo County.