(a) By September 30, 2023, the commission shall present a cost comparison of whether extended operations at the Diablo Canyon powerplant compared to a portfolio of other feasible resources available for calendar years 2024 to 2035, inclusive, is consistent with the greenhouse gases emissions reduction goals of § 454.53 of the Public Utilities Code. As part of this comparison, the commission shall evaluate the alternative resource costs, and shall make all evaluations available to the public within the proceeding docket.

(b) With respect to the Department of Water Resources loan to the operator of the Diablo Canyon powerplant, pursuant to Chapter 6.3 (commencing with Section 25548), if the costs of the extension of operations of the Diablo Canyon powerplant exceed limits provided for in the loan agreement at any time, the commission shall reevaluate the cost-effectiveness of prolonging the powerplant’s operations.

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(c) Within 180 days of the operator of the Diablo Canyon powerplant submitting an application with the United States Department of Energy to receive potential funding for extended operations of the Diablo Canyon powerplant, the commission, in consultation with the Independent System Operator and the Public Utilities Commission, shall make a determination in a public process, whether the state’s electricity forecasts for the calendar years 2024 to 2030, inclusive, show potential for reliability deficiencies if the Diablo Canyon powerplant operation is not extended beyond 2025, and whether extending operations of the Diablo Canyon powerplant to at least 2030 is prudent to ensure reliability in light of any potential for supply deficiency, and is consistent with the emissions reduction goals of § 454.53 of the Public Utilities Code. The determination shall be approved by a vote of the commission at its business meeting.

(d) On or before July 1, 2023, and on July 1 of each year thereafter until 2031, the commission, in coordination with the Public Utilities Commission and the Independent System Operator, shall publish on its internet website in a new report, or as part of another report, an assessment of the operation of the Diablo Canyon powerplant. The report shall include, but not be limited to, outage information, powerplant operational costs, average revenues from electricity sales, worker attrition, and the powerplant’s contribution to resource adequacy requirements.

(e) The commission may enter into contracts to implement the analysis in subdivisions (a) and (c), and the contracts shall not require the review, consent, or approval of the Department of General Services or any other state department or agency and do not need to comply with requirements under the State Contracting Manual, the Public Contract Code, or the personal services contracting requirements of Article 4 (commencing with Section 19130) of Chapter 5 of Part 2 of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 239, Sec. 3. (SB 846) Effective September 2, 2022.)