New report alleges California overpays to keep nuclear power plant running
Apr 08, 2026
A new report alleged that California is overpaying PGE to keep the state’s only nuclear power plant running.
Federal authorities have extended the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant’s license by 20 years, but it’s old and needs updating. Because of that, the state “lent” PGE more than $
1 billion to extend the power plant’s life.
Climate policy researchers at UC Santa Barbara say California will only get back about half of that loan because Diablo Canyon is running at a huge deficit.
Critics say it was a bad deal, but it’s worse now, with the company enjoying record overall profits.
Investigative reporter Jaxon Van Derbeken has been digging into safety and financial issues surrounding the nuclear power plant for years, and he joined Raj Mathai to talk about them. Watch the full segment in the video player above.
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