BILL ANALYSIS 1
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SENATE ENERGY, UTILITIES AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
ALEX PADILLA, CHAIR
AB 42 - Blakeslee Hearing Date:
July 7, 2009 A
As Amended: June 23, 2009 FISCAL B
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DESCRIPTION
Current law requires the owner of a nuclear power plant to
establish an externally managed, segregated fund to ensure that
funds are available for decommissioning of the facility when
necessary.
Current law requires the CEC to assess existing scientific
studies to determine the vulnerability of nuclear facilities to
major disruptions due to aging or a major earthquake and the
resulting impacts on reliability, public safety, and the
economy.
This bill requires the Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) to
conduct specific seismic fault studies or surveys near the
Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant (Diablo) to ensure its
reliable and safe operation. The CEC would be required to
conduct or facilitate a peer review of any studies or surveys
conducted within 120 days of receipt of the study or survey.
BACKGROUND
Diablo is a two-unit nuclear power plant located in San Luis
Obispo County. The power production facility and support
operations sit on approximately 700 acres adjacent to the
Pacific Ocean between Avila Beach and Montano del Oro State
Park. In total the Diablo site includes approximately 12,000
acres of California coastline.
Together the two units produce approximately 2,300 megawatts of
electricity, enough to meet the needs of 2.3 million households
in northern and central California. Diablo Canyon provides
approximately 20 percent of the electricity delivered into the
PG&E service territory. Units 1 and 2 began commercial operation
in 1985 and 1986 and are licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) to operate for a 40 year period.
Since the initial siting of Diablo PG&E and the state have been
aware that the plant lies within a seismically active zone.
This resulted in the establishment of PG&E's Long Term Seismic
Program (LTSP) which has continued to monitor and study the
potential impact of the zone. After the 2003 San Simeon
earthquake, the epicenter of which was located approximately 35
miles north of the site, seismic experts have identified another
potential seismic hazard and the resulting possibility of an
earthquake directly beneath the plant. The deep geometry of
faults that bound the area where Diablo sits are not understood
sufficiently to rule out a San Simeon-type earthquake directly
beneath the plant.
COMMENTS
1. Further Study Needed - In response to 2006 legislation
(AB 1632, Blakeslee, Statutes of 2006, Chapter 722) the CEC
studied the vulnerability of the state's operating nuclear
power plants to a major disruption due to a major seismic
event or plant aging. Released in 2008 the CEC recommended
that PG&E continue its LTSP and also use threedimensional
geophysical seismic reflection mapping and other advanced
techniques to explore fault zones near Diablo Canyon which
is required by this bill. The2. point is to determine
"whether the plant was built with sufficient design margins
to continue operating reliably after experiencing these
larger ground motions."
3. What About SONGS ? - The CEC report also assessed the
seismic safety of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station
(SONGS). The report recommended that Southern California
Edison (SCE) develop an active seismic hazards research
program similar to PG&E's LTSP and undertake specified
investigations and research. This bill does not address
the SONGS plant. SCE advises that they will have a
response and a plan shortly.
4. Study & Survey Design Participants - This bill permits
the CEC to consult with the California Geologic Survey and
Seismic Safety Commission and requires the CEC to consult
with those parties in conducting a peer review of the
research. An earlier version of this bill also included
the California Coastal Commission (CCC) which was amended
out of the bill in the Assembly. The CCC opines that it
would be "prudent to include their participation in these
efforts at the outset, to ensure that the tests are
designed and interpreted in a manner that will be of use to
the CCC's future responsibilities." The CCC is asking that
they be amended back into the bill.
5. Ratepayer Impacts - PG&E would be permitted to fully
recover all costs associated with the studies and surveys
required in this bill from ratepayer funds.
ASSEMBLY VOTES
Assembly Floor (75-0)
Assembly Appropriations Committee (12-0)
Assembly Natural Resources Committee
(7-0)
Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee
(13-0)
POSITIONS
Sponsor:
Author
Support:
California Church IMPACT
California League of Conservation Voters
City of Morro Bay
Clean Power Campaign
County of San Luis Obispo
Environment California
Sierra Club California
Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors
Oppose:
None on file
Kellie Smith
AB 42 Analysis
Hearing Date: July 7, 2009