San Luis Obispo County is seeking the support of local cities to back continued operations at Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP), before taking that request to the California legislature.
Back in December, the California Coastal Commission approved extended operations at DCPP, finding it “safe and environmentally sound to operate for another 20 years.”
Currently, it is approved to operate until 2030.
“So really what we’re talking about right now is what needs to happen between now and 2030 should Diablo get all the approvals necessary to extend its operation," said Bruce Gibson, San Luis Obispo County District 2 Supervisor.
The county has drafted a letter supporting a 20-year operation extension, as well as the Coastal Commission's land conservation efforts, and asking to restore a previous property tax that was in place before the plant began its decommissioning process.
The county shared the letter with local cities, asking them to sign it in support.
“The main issue that we’re concerned about right now is the question of unitary tax, and in terms of any extension of operations at Diablo Canyon, we want to be sure that the county is paid fairly,” Gibson said.
Revenue from the unitary tax would be distributed to different cities, districts and municipalities.
The power plant provides about 9% of the state’s total power generation and historically has brought in about $21 million in unitary tax revenue for the county.
The topic was an item at Tuesday night’s Morro Bay City Council meeting, where it passed without discussion.
“That shows I think support that they showed for this resolution, supporting the county’s efforts to get the unitary tax included and the extension for the power plant for the next 20 years,” said John Craig, Morro Bay City Manager.
According to a Morro Bay City staff report, unitary tax distribution for Morro Bay for this fiscal year and the last four have all brought in six figures annually.
- 2021-22: $154,862
- 2022-23: $142,328
- 2023-24: $125,616
- 2024-25: $115,320
- 2025-26: $103,466
Craig said that one of the city’s policy goals is to increase revenue.
“Looking for other outlets or other places that we can increase revenues where we can provide services for our citizens and visitors," Craig said. "And so I think the unitary tax and restoring that back to decommissioning levels is something that’s really important for the City of Morro Bay."
