Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold two scoping meetings in February 

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold two scoping meetings in February to discuss the environmental evaluation and review process for the license renewal application of the two-unit Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in Avila Beach.

Plant operator Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) filed the application in November 2023, requesting to renew the licenses for an additional 20 years of operation. Diablo Canyon’s operating licenses expire in November 2024 for Unit 1, and in August 2025 for Unit 2.

The NRC staff will conduct a virtual meeting from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pacific time on Feb. 1.

The second meeting, which will be in-person only, will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Pacific time on Feb. 8 at the Embassy Suites San Luis Obispo, 333 Madonna Rd. in San Luis Obispo. Before the meeting, the staff will hold an “open house” from 5 to 6 p.m. Pacific time for informal discussions and to answer questions from members of the public. Individuals seeking accommodations or special equipment to attend, or who plan to provide comments, should contact Kim Conway by Jan. 31 through email at kimberly.conway@nrc.gov or by phone at (301) 415-1335.

At both meetings, the staff will seek the public’s input in identifying potentially significant issues that the staff should address in its environmental review of the plant’s application.

A Federal Register notice details the following methods for submitting written comments: Filing on the federal rulemaking website, regulations.gov, under Docket ID “NRC-2023-0192”; emailing to DiabloCanyonEnvironmental@nrc.gov; or mailing to Office of Administration, Mail Stop TWFN-7-A60M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001, ATTN: Program Management, Announcements and Editing Staff. Comments are due by Feb. 23.

A copy of the Diablo Canyon license renewal application is available for public review at the San Luis Obispo Library, 995 Palm St. in San Luis Obispo. More information about the plant’s application also is available on the NRC website at nrc.gov/about-nrc.html.