On Thursday, June 2, IBEW 1245 Business Manager Tom Dalzell met with California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom in San Francisco to discuss the future of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP). Newsom is a member of the California State Lands Commission, and the Commission will be voting on whether or not to extend Diablo Canyon’s lease at its next meeting on June 28. If the lease is not extended, the plant could close as soon as 2018.
Dalzell and Newsom spoke for a full hour, and Dalzell took the opportunity to underscore the many reasons why the Commission should vote to keep Diablo Canyon open.
“I emphasized that power from Diablo Canyon is carbon-free and emits zero greenhouse gases, and it is also cost-effective and safe,” said Dalzell. “I pointed out that DCPP is critical for baseload now, and that renewables like wind and solar are not a viable substitute at this point because they are not available 24 hours a day. I also explained that Diablo Canyon provides good jobs for more than a thousand employees, and that closure would be economically devastating for San Luis Obispo County.”
According to Dalzell, Newsom fully acknowledged each point that Dalzell made, and spoke highly of the DCPP employees whom he met at the State Lands Commission meeting on April 11.
As the Lands Commission vote approaches, Local 1245 members and supporters are encouraged to reach out to the Commission and express support for keeping Diablo Canyon open. The Commission can be reached by phone at (916) 574-1900 or by email at CSLC.CommissionMeetings@slc.ca.gov.
Learn more at www.KeepDiabloCanyonOpen.com.