Why SLO County should not be a cheerleader for Diablo Canyon and PG&E | Opinion

Against the recommendations of two state lawmakers, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors joined a coalition lobbying for legislation to keep Diablo Canyon open until 2045.

The group, aptly named Diablo Canyon 2045, includes labor unions, chambers of commerce, taxpayer watchdogs, nuclear power advocates, the California Farm Bureau and the Almond Alliance.

Numerous city and county politicians from throughout the state have signed on as well, but so far, San Luis Obispo County is the only government agency listed on the group’s website.

DC 45 has one goal: To lobby the state Legislature to pass a bill keeping California’s last nuclear power plant running nearly 20 more years. And it wants it passed this year, even though the current session is winding down.

Sen. John Laird and Assemblymember Dawn Addis warned against rushing legislation, and urged the Board of Supervisors to hold off on joining the coalition.

In a written statement, Addis pointed out that DC 45 is largely funded by private entities with interests that “may not fully align with those of San Luis Obispo County or the residents who work, live and attend schools here.”

Still, the board voted 4-1 to join the coalition.

“Economically, this is critical for us,” Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg, a former PG&E employee, said. “And as a lover of the environment and the future, we care very much about being able to deliver clean energy to 4 million Californians.”

One supervisor opposed ‘unconditional advocacy’

Supervisor Bruce Gibson, the only dissenter, called the move premature.

“This coalition is engaged in unconditional advocacy for the extension of Diablo Canyon to 2045, and I believe at this time, that is not in the best interest of the county of San Luis Obispo or its residents,” he said.

Gibson later told Editorial Board that he’s not an “unrelenting critic” of PG&E, but he does have questions about the cost of keeping the plant open, compensation for the county, whether the energy is needed through 2045 and plans for storing spent fuel, among others.

“I think it’s really important that I maintain a neutral position, and not be a cheerleader,” Gibson said.

SLO County deserves its fair share of taxes

San Luis Obispo County has no say over Diablo Canyon’s future; it’s up to the state Legislature and various state regulatory agencies to decide whether the plant can operate until 2045.

Still, the county should be interested in securing terms that protect the interests of its constituents. Instead, it’s acting like an overanxious buyer willing to pay full price for a property, sight unseen.

A bill to extend the life of Diablo Canyon should be the result of thoughtful deliberation that includes input from those who will be most affected — not something rammed through to meet a PG&E timeline.

The last thing we need is a repeat of the “deal” we got in 2022, when the Legislature voted to keep the plant open five more years.

The enabling legislation, SB 846, neglected to make any provision for the resumption of tax payments to local governments. As a result, the San Luis Coastal Unified School District had to make drastic budget cuts.

Laird and Addis have proposed legislation to restore a portion of the lost funding, but it’s unclear what will happen after 2030.

“How much revenue, exactly, can our community count on?” a group of San Luis Coastal parents asked in a Tribune Viewpoint. “The people who bear the impact of these decisions should not be an afterthought.”

This is not — as some have alleged — an attempt to shake down PG&E.

Businesses that operate across county lines, such as railroads, phone companies, gas companies and other utilities, are required to pay unitary tax. The tax assessment can be based on various factors, including future earning power.

Approval is practically in the bag — no county cheerleading needed

Diablo Canyon is an economic engine for SLO County; a 2013 Cal Poly study found it generated $1 billion annually for the regional economy.

It’s no surprise, then, that local government officials want the plant to remain open, especially since it has operated for the past 40 years without major incident. But they should take a beat before lining up behind an investor-owned utility looking out for its shareholders.

Besides, there really is no need for such overt support, since it’s all but certain that PG&E will be allowed to keep Diablo Canyon open until 2045.

Look at the vote for the five-year extension: 69-3 in the Assembly and 31-1 in the Senate. And while there has been a huge increase in solar power and battery storage, natural gas remains the biggest source of energy in a state committed to carbon neutrality. It’s depending on Diablo to supply emission-free energy.

Unfortunately, we are not convinced that we can depend on our local elected officials to help ensure that a win for PG&E doesn’t come at the expense of local residents and ratepayers.

Going forward, we urge them to act more like referees and less like cheerleaders. Leave that to the labor unions, the advocacy groups and the chambers of commerce.

This story was originally published July 1, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Why SLO County should not be a cheerleader for Diablo Canyon and PG&E | Opinion."