Reuters. (2023 December 15). California’s Only Nuclear Power Plant Gets State Approval For 5-Year Extension. Retrieved January 28th, 2024, from https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/californias-only-nuclear-plant-gets-state-approval-5-year-extension-2023-12-15/
The California Public Utilities Commission granted a 5-year extension for Electric’s Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant and Pacific Gas. This was done in order to reduce electricity shortages during extreme weather. So this means that the plant can continue working until 2029-2030. Some people are concerned about the plant being prone to earthquakes and the plant’s lack of disposal of radioactive waste. The Biden Administration also gave funding to prevent the closure of Diablo Canyon in climate change efforts.
I believe that relying on nuclear energy in an effort to fight climate change is definitely good, but it has its risks as I read in the article. I also believe that renewable energy sources and energy-efficient measures should be put first instead. This article relates to environmental science as it discusses power plants, climate change, and energy sources.
Since the people are worried about the plant being susceptible to natural disasters have they placed any precautions to decrease those concerns. While changing energy sources is definitely beneficial for the world, we must ease it into the modern day by taking care of every precautions first.
If the public is so worried about this plant why is the government heavily funding it? I think nuclear is part of the answer and is 100% necessary for us in order to achieve drawdown. We do have to be smart and safe when dealing with nuclear power. Safety of the citizens comes first.
I agree that using nuclear energy is very important in combatting climate change but more precautions should be put into place to ensure the safety of the nearby towns before power plants are installed. Money should be funded into these precautions since using nuclear energy can greatly reduce the fossil fuel emissions. Do you think giving all this money to fund nuclear energy is worth it?