New bill aims to restore Diablo Canyon funding for SLO County schools, agencies
San Luis Obispo schools and public agencies could see a major chunk of funding restored — that is, if a newly introduced bill passes the California Legislature.
Central Coast lawmaker Sen. John Laird recently introduced SB 931 — a bill that aims to extend funding previously paid by PG&E to SLO County agencies to offset the impacts of Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant operations, his office said in a news release.
The bill is co-authored by Assemblymember Dawn Addis.
The proposed legislation aims to fill a gap in funding that has left SLO County schools and public agencies reeling, as 2025 marked the end of the mitigation payments paid by PG&E to local governments through a 2016 settlement negotiated as agencies prepared for the closure of Diablo Canyon.
The end of the mitigation payments and loss of ongoing funding from PG&E has caused financial strain for SLO County agencies.
The San Luis Coastal school district, which is funded primarily by local property taxes, slashed more than $10 million from its budget over three years to cope with the planned loss of PG&E funds, resulting in cuts to teachers, counselors and programming that drew sharp criticisms from parents and staff.
And as Diablo Canyon operations have continued, parents and school officials have called on lawmakers and PG&E to restore funding to local agencies — and Laird’s new bill aims to do just that.
According to the release, the bill would authorize continued payments to local agencies via the Community Impact Mitigation Program, while Diablo Canyon remains open through 2030.
“Communities in San Luis Obispo County have relied on this funding to support essential public services, including fire protection, public safety response and local schools until Diablo Canyon’s planned closure,” Laird said in the release. “When the state extended the plant’s operations, it’s only fair that we also extend the funding commitments made to support those communities.”
Addis said in the release that as a public servant and resident of SLO County, she knows the value of every dollar for public agencies.
“When the five-year extension of Diablo Canyon was approved in 2022, it left our schools and local governments short tens-of-millions of dollars in funds that had previously been used to provide services to those most in need,” she said in the release. “I am proud to co-sponsor SB 931 that will begin to right this wrong and ensure our local communities are no longer left behind.”
According to the release, SB 931, if passed, would go into effect immediately after receiving Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature, “to prevent any disruption in funding and ensure that impacted communities continue to receive support.”
Laird added: “SB 931 ensures that these communities are not left behind and that the state honors its commitments.”
The San Luis Coastal Parent Information Network, a group that has worked to lobby PG&E for continued education funding, issued a statement in support of the new bill on Thursday.
“We are grateful that Senator Laird and Assemblymember Addis heard the parents and community members who asked to protect local funding while DCPP stays open,” the group said. “This legislation represents excellent progress toward ensuring that impacts on our children are not lost in the economic and political wrangling over DCPP operations.”
This story was originally published March 26, 2026 at 9:00 AM with the headline "New bill aims to restore Diablo Canyon funding for SLO County schools, agencies."
