Speakers Urge Denial of Upgrade for San Onofre

Environmentalists and others concerned about California’s energy future urged state regulators Tuesday to reject a $680-million plan to replace deteriorating steam generators at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.

During a public hearing in Oceanside, the majority of speakers told representatives of the California Public Utilities Commission that the massive undertaking should be scrapped in favor of conservation programs and development of alternative sources of energy, such as wind and solar power.

“I can’t see how it’s ethical to replace the steam generators,” said Steve Beckham, a Lutheran minister from Riverside. “If we go to renewable sources, we will be buying our own future. If we don’t, we will be buying our own demise.”

Southern California Edison, which operates San Onofre in northern San Diego County, plans to replace four steam generators that serve two reactors.

In another proposal pending before the PUC, Pacific Gas & Electric has asked permission to install eight new steam generators at Diablo Canyon, north of San Luis Obispo, for an estimated $706 million.

The PUC, a five-member panel, must determine whether the projects are beneficial to the utilities and their customers.

The commission’s decision, expected later this year, could determine the fate of nuclear power in California.

Steam generators contain thousands of small tubes that carry heated water from the reactor. The tubes turn a secondary source of water into steam that spins the plant’s turbines to create electricity.

Over time, the tubes corrode and crack and must be plugged to take them out of service. When more than 15% of a steam generator’s tubes are blocked, reactors must be shut down, according to federal regulations.

Edison and PG&E; officials say the replacement steam generators are needed to keep San Onofre and Diablo Canyon operating at least until their federal licenses expire in 2022 and 2025, respectively.

Both utilities say the projects would save customers up to $3 billion that they would otherwise have to pay to obtain electricity elsewhere.

San Onofre can generate 2,150 megawatts, enough electricity for 2.2 million homes. Diablo Canyon’s capacity is slightly larger, at 2,200 megawatts.

At Tuesday’s hearing, speakers said they worried that the cost of the San Onofre project could escalate dramatically.

They also said that extending the life of the nuclear plant would continue to increase the amount of high level radioactive waste stored at the site.

“The plan to spend $680 million to repair San Onofre was questionable from the beginning,” said La Mesa Mayor Art Madrid, who chairs an energy policy group for the San Diego Assn. of Governments.

Other utilities, along with some consumer and environmental groups, have no faith in Edison’s cost estimates and question whether ratepayers will get stuck with unexpected bills.