HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/3/2026 Item 5h, Addis
February 3, 2026
San Luis Obispo City Council
Via emailcouncil@slocity.org
Subject: Diablo Canyon Power Plant Letter - Item No. 5.h, February 3, 2026 SLO City Council
Agenda
Dear Mayor Stewart and Councilmembers:
As the Assemblymember representing California’s 30th Assembly District, a former Morro Bay
City Councilmember, and the only State Legislator living within one of the twelve evacuation /
shelter-in-place zones surrounding the Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) owned Diablo Canyon
Power Plant (DCPP), I write to you with extensive, first-hand experience of the safety, policy,
and fiscal realities of DCPP’s operation.
As a fellow San Luis Obispo (SLO) County resident and former local government
representative, I understand how decisions about DCPP have real consequences to local public
entities’ ability to provide essential services and public education including to residents served
by the seven SLO County cities, the San Luis Coastal Unified School District, the numerous
community service districts, and the County itself. This is why I have been steadfast in
advocating for fair and just mitigation for the 2025–2030 DCPP extension. I believe such
mitigation is urgent and should remain independent of any negotiations regarding potential
DCPP operations beyond 2030. I am glad to read that your position is aligned, and I urge you to
continue advocating for fair and just mitigation.
SLO County residents uniquely shoulder the ongoing burden of preparing for a potential
radioactive disaster. These are risks that no other California community faces. This concern is
not about the dedication or professionalism of DCPP workers, but about the disproportionate
burden placed on the surrounding community.
In 2018, the California Public Utilities Commission approved PG&E’s plan to retire DCPP. That
decision was accompanied by SB 1090 (Monning, Chapter 561, Statutes of 2018), which
established a thoughtful framework for plant retirement and provided essential transition
resources to support local jurisdictions. SB 1090 recognized the value of mitigation for the
health and welfare of our local communities.
Asm Addis, 2/3/26, Diablo Canyon Power Plant Letter - Item No. 5.h 2
In 2022, SB 846 (Dodd, Chapter 239, Statutes of 2022) extended DCPP’s operation through
2030. While I was not serving in the Legislature at that time, I understand that SB 846 dictated a
variety of provisions, including a $1.4 billion taxpayer funded, forgivable state loan to PG&E, as
well as the delay of DCPP’s planned retirement to 2030. Many now recognize that the
provisions of SB 846 significantly benefited the for-profit, investor-owned utility while failing to
provide fair and just mitigation to SLO County communities hosting DCPP during its five-year
extension period.
Such mitigation should have been secured through structured payments, reinstatement of the
unitary tax, or other mechanisms. Now, it has been conveyed both publicly and privately that the
absence of a local mitigation provision was recognized during the SB 846 negotiations, yet that
mitigation was left out of SB 846. I have been clear, publicly and directly with PG&E, that this
omission unfairly burdens local public agencies and constrains your ability to provide essential
services and public education.
To address the lack of 2025-2030 mitigation, I have been actively working to advance multiple
solutions. This includes my 2025 Transitional Kindergarten Access Act (AB 1391) that would
have provided needed funding to our local, public school district, as well as a $10 million budget
proposal that would have helped numerous local entities, including the City of San Luis Obispo.
In 2026, I am focused on delivering concrete solutions through regular collaboration with our
shared constituents and diverse stakeholders.
As public servants, we can all agree that our residents rely on local public entities to provide
safe streets, infrastructure, mental health and homelessness services, and high-quality public
education. Without proper oversight and accountability, the capacity to deliver these core
services is diminished. Additionally, such mitigation should not be viewed as precedent or
justification for decisions regarding DCPP operations beyond 2030.
Now is the time for PG&E to fulfill its promise of partnership with our SLO County communities.
As I continue working toward a fair and just mitigation solution for the 2025–2030 extension, I
welcome your input.
Sincerely,
Dawn Addis
Assemblymember, 30th Assembly District
cc: San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors
Arroyo Grande City Council
Atascadero City Council
Asm Addis, 2/3/26, Diablo Canyon Power Plant Letter - Item No. 5.h 3
Grover Beach City Council
Morro Bay City Council
Paso Robles City Council
Pismo Beach City Council