Tell Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm to support a just transition for reactor communities in Michigan and California.

The Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan and Diablo Canyon nuclear plant in California are unsafe, expensive, and dirty. For these reasons, Palisades is scheduled to close and begin decommissioning at the end of May 2022, while Diablo Canyon’s operator has reached an agreement with environmental groups, workers, the state of California, and others to close its reactors in 2024 and 2025.

But, a recent push for a last-minute federal bailout to keep the Palisades and Diablo Canyon from closing as planned would be a massive failure for climate, consumers, communities, and the environment. The DOE must make sure the community and workers at Palisades and Diablo Canyon land on their feet, help save the climate, and transition these states to an affordable, sustainable future with good jobs in the new energy economy.

The suggestion to extend the operational life of the Diablo Canyon and Palisades with a bailout program these reactors may not even qualify for is an outrage and a betrayal to those of us seeking a clean and safe energy future. Federal funds would be better spent invested in clean and safe energy resources, conservation, and efficiency. Say NO to Nuclear Bailouts and YES to Just Transitions at California and Michigan Nuclear Reactors

Act Now! Tell DOE: No Bailouts for Diablo Canyon and Palisades

Diablo Canyon

• San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace
• Utility Dive: Gov. Newsom open to extending Diablo Canyon nuclear plant’s life, but analysts differ on feasibility and need
• Common Dreams: Nuclear Critics Cry Foul as Newsom Reconsiders Diablo Canyon Closure
• Save Diablo Canyon or close it? What should happen to California’s last nuclear plant?
• Gov. Newsom suggests delaying Diablo Canyon's closure 
• Should Gavin Newsom keep Diablo Canyon open? SLO anti-nuclear group has concerns
• Letter to the Editor: CPUC responds to commentary on Diablo Canyon
• LA Times - Editorial: No, California shouldn’t extend the life of its last nuclear plant. There are better ways to fight climate change
• Nuclear Negligence at Diablo - Dan Hirsch
• Bulletin of Atomic Scientists - Why the retirement of a California nuclear plant should proceed as planned
• Former Prime Minister of Japan Sounds the Alarm on Diablo Canyon

Palisades

• NIRS Blog: New Yorkers Paid Billions for a Bad Nuclear Bailout – Don’t Let Michigan Make the Same Mistake 
• Palisades Background
• Don’t Waste Michigan 
• Michigan Safe Energy Future - Palisades Shut Down Campaign 
• Press Release: Palisades Is One of the Most Dangerous Atomic Reactors in the Country  
• Detroit News: Gov Whitmer Applies Aid to Stop Closure of Palisades Nuclear Plant 

Civil Nuclear Credit 

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA or the Act) directs the Secretary of Energy (Secretary) to establish a Civil Nuclear Credit (CNC) Program to evaluate and certify nuclear reactors that are projected to cease operations due to economic factors and to allocate credits to selected certified nuclear reactors via a sealed bid process.

Under the law, to be eligible to receive credits, nuclear reactors must meet three criteria: 

1. Be shown to be unprofitable
2. Be at imminent risk of closing in the next 2 years due to being unprofitable
3. The closure of the plant would result in an increase of greenhouse gas emissions. 

DOE: Civil Nuclear Credit Program

Bulletin of Atomic Scientists: A $6 billion bailout for US nuclear power plants?