Environmental group drops lawsuit over Diablo Canyon’s federal funding

By Blanca Begert | 01/16/2025 06:21 AM EST

Friends of the Earth said a court victory wouldn’t stop the nuclear plant from staying open through 2030.

Diablo Canyon's nuclear reactors are shown.

Part of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant is seen in Avila Beach, California. Michael A. Mariant/AP

An environmental group dropped its lawsuit against a federal grant to the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant Wednesday, saying that California lawmakers’ financial support for the plant ensures Pacific Gas & Electric will be able to keep it operating.

What happened: Friends of the Earth voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit it filed in April alleging that the Department of Energy failed to adequately assess the environmental risks of prolonging the life of Diablo Canyon when it granted PG&E a $1.1 billion award to keep the plant running five years past its originally scheduled 2025 phase-out date.

The group said in a press release that it originally filed the lawsuit with the expectation that court action could block the award from the DOE’s Civil Nuclear Credit Program and thus interrupt the facility’s ability to keep operating.

Advertisement

The group said it learned through recent PG&E filings that California had already fully disbursed a $1.4 billion loan the Legislature approved in 2022 and which PG&E was supposed to pay back with the CNC grant.

GET FULL ACCESS