Diablo Canyon Power Plant
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The Diablo Canyon Power Plant is an electricity-generating nuclear power plant in San Luis Obispo County, California. The plant has two Westinghouse-designed 4-Loop pressurized-water nuclear reactors operated by Pacific Gas & Electric. The facility is located on about 750 acres (3.7 km²) in Avila Beach, California. Together, the twin 1,100 megawatt reactors produce about 18,000 GWh of electricity annually, supplying the electrical needs of more than 2.2 million people, sent along the Path 15 500 kV lines that connect to this plant.
Diablo Canyon is designed to withstand an earthquake of 6.75 on the Richter scale[1] from four faults, including the nearby San Andreas and Hosgri faults. Equipped with advanced seismic monitoring and safety systems, the plant is designed to shutdown safely in the event of significant ground motion.
The plant draws its secondary cooling water from the Pacific Ocean, and during heavy storms both units are throttled back to 80% power to prevent kelp from entering the cooling water intake.
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[edit] Unit One
Unit One is a 1,087MWe pressurized water reactor supplied by Westinghouse. It went online on 2 November 1984 and is licensed to operate through 22 September 2021. In 2003, Unit One generated 9,585,431 MWhr of electricity, at a capacity factor of 100.4%.
[edit] Unit Two
Unit Two is a 1,087 MWe pressurized water reactor supplied by Westinghouse. It went online on 26 August 1985 and is licensed to operate through 26 April 2025. In 2003, Unit Two generated 7,699,608 MWhr of electricity, at a capacity factor of 80.6%.
[edit] Public opposition
Diablo Canyon was built and pressed into service despite legal challenges and civil disobedience from the anti-nuclear protesters of the Abalone alliance.
