The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has granted 20-year licence renewals to the two pressurised water reactors at Diablo Canyon in Avila Beach, California, extending operations at the plant into the mid-2040s.

California keeps a major nuclear asset on the grid

Operated by Pacific Gas & Electric, Diablo Canyon remains California’s last operating nuclear power station. The renewal decision gives the facility a much longer runway at a time when grid reliability, electrification demand and clean firm power are all under sharper focus.

The approval also marks a symbolic milestone for the US fleet. Diablo Canyon’s two units are the 99th and 100th reactors in the country to receive 20-year licence renewals from the NRC, underlining how life-extension has become a central part of maintaining existing nuclear generation.

For the broader industry, the decision reinforces the value of preserving proven reactors while utilities, regulators and policymakers work through how much of today’s fleet can continue contributing dependable, low-carbon power alongside new-build and advanced-reactor plans.