News : Nuclear options are still on the table

Monday, August 29, 2022

Nuclear options are still on the table

Aug 29, 2022

By Lara Korte, Jeremy B. White and Sakura Cannestra

Presented by SEIU United Healthcare Workers West

THE BUZZ: Lawmakers were cutting it a little close last night as they hurried to get bills into print before the 72-hour deadline. They've had weeks to make a deal, but, hey, sometimes work is best done under pressure, right?

We've got a slew of new legislation to dig into, including 13 bills that are up in the Senate Budget Committee at 9 a.m. this morning, but first, the big ticket item.

A bill to extend the life of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant made it into print around 8 p.m. last night. Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) is the principal co-author of Senate Bill 846 with state Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa). The measure would allow the plant to keep operating past its current retirement date of 2025.

It's similar to the proposal Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration floated a few weeks ago, with one major difference: The governor's plan had included the option of keeping the plant open until 2035. Some legislators, however, don't seem to think another decade is a good idea. They say the "stopgap measure" won't be needed for more than five years.

"... [S]eeking to extend the Diablo Canyon powerplant's operations for a renewed license term is prudent, cost effective, and in the best interests of all California electricity customers," the bill states.

Like Newsom's plan, the bill would also allow the state to give up to $1.4 billion in forgivable loans to Pacific Gas & Electric to facilitate the extension. Keep in mind that PG&E also needs to get federal approval to extend operations, and is expected to apply for federal grant money to do just that in the next week or so.

At the heart of this debate is grid reliability. Diablo Canyon provides nearly 10 percent of the state's electricity and does so without releasing greenhouse gas (though many environmental advocates say the use of seawater for once-through cooling is harmful to marine life). The administration argues that the state needs to keep the plant online as more fossil fuel power sources go into retirement and the procurement of clean energy continues to lag.

Some Democrats have voiced concerns that the extension of Diablo would delay California's transition to green technologies. Part of this new bill appears to recognize those worries: "During the time the Diablo Canyon powerplant's operations are extended, the state will continue to act with urgency to bring clean replacement energy online to support reliability and achieve California's landmark climate goals."

As POLITICO's Camille von Kaenel reported last night, this bill is just one of several energy-related pieces of legislation that make up a larger climate change policy. Also dropped last night: Senate Bill 905, which would direct the Air Resources Board to develop rules for carbon capture, utilization and storage. SB 905 is tied to Assembly Bill 1279 , which would codify the goal of carbon neutrality by 2045 as well as a reduction of greenhouse gasses of at least 85 percent below the 1990 levels by the same year.

The budget released Sunday night also came with an energy trailer bill, Senate Bill 126, that includes billions in additional spending.

BUENOS DÍAS, good Monday morning. A group opposing Sen. Bob Hertzberg's (D-Van Nuys) Senate Bill 262 is set to gather near the Capitol this morning. The bill was originally introduced in the fall as zero-bail legislation, but Hertzberg temporarily pulled it after the September killing of Mary Kate Tibbitts in Sacramento, allegedly at the hands of a man on parole.

The bill was resurrected and amended last week, and now says defendants who are released on bail or their own recognizance can't be charged costs related to conditions of their release. The bill would also require the courts to order the return of any payment made to a bail bond licensee in the event a case against a defendant is dismissed or no charges are filed within 60 days of arrest. Among the speakers today are Tibbits' brother, Dan Tibbitts, and state Sen. Brain Dahle (R-Bieber).

Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up: jwhite@politico.com and lkorte@politico.com or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I've always planned on running for speaker. I ... wanted to serve up into my last term so I will absolutely run for speaker in the Fall." Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) in a newly-released interview with Fox 40's Nikki Laurenzo.

TWEET OF THE DAY: Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva @quirk_silva on the final countdown: "Heading into last days of session, what to expect: the tough bills: climate, housing, education, and much much! Stay tuned for fast moving legislation and fast moving mouths. Everybody wants to be the deliverer' or 'At the table'."

WHERE'S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

A message from SEIU United Healthcare Workers West:

Healthcare workers have been through hell during the pandemic. Before the vaccines, as COVID-19 infection and death rates soared, healthcare workers continued to go to work–sometimes without the proper equipment to keep them safe. They put their lives on the line for as little as $15 an hour. They were there for us. Now, it's time we are there for them. Tell lawmakers to increase the minimum wage to $25 for healthcare workers.

TOP TALKERS

— "Op-Ed: I am California's acting surgeon general and I have bipolar disorder," opines acting California Surgeon General Devika Bhushan for the Los Angeles Times: "In 2011 I was a third-year medical student at Harvard Medical School. I was on my psychiatry rotation — and I had a secret."

EVEN WITH EV's — "GOP leaders want to untie Virginia from California EV rule," by the Associated Press' Sarah Rankin: "Virginia is among 17 states that have adopted some or all of California's tailpipe emission standards that are stricter than federal rules. California, the nation's most populous state, has had the authority to set its own for decades under a waiver from the federal Clean Air Act."

— "'He stood his ground': State Sen. Pan will leave office as champion of tough vaccine laws ," by California Healthline's Angela Hart: "Pan, 56, helped lead the charge to restore vision, dental, and other benefits to California's Medicaid program, called Medi-Cal, after they were slashed during the Great Recession. Since then, he has pushed to expand social services to some of the most vulnerable enrollees."

CAMPAIGN MODE

— "Leanna Louie, embattled supe candidate, struck from ballot," by Mission Local's Joe Eskenazi: "Election Director John Arntz today sent Louie a letter stating she would not be included on the Nov. 8 ballot. He mailed that letter to her District 10 address — which she listed as the mailing address in her declaration of candidacy to run for District 4 supervisor."

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CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR

— "The winery co-founded by Gavin Newsom just bought a major Napa vineyard for $14.5 million," by the San Francisco Chronicle's Esther Mobley: "PlumpJack's latest investment is sure to raise the profile of Pope Valley, a region in the northeastern outskirts of the county that's always been less visible — with a reputation for less impressive wines — than areas like Oakville, the Stags Leap District and Howell Mountain, where PlumpJack's other holdings are located."

LOCKDOWN — Classroom vs. fortress: States push slew of new school safety measures, by POLITICO's Juan Perez Jr. and Katelyn Cordero: But lawmakers, superintendents, educators and parents are confronting a difficult and all-too-familiar challenge as classes resume: How to protect schools without turning buildings into de facto fortresses.

— " Farmworkers march 335-miles to Sacramento in push for labor rights," by CapRadio's Manola Secaira: "On Friday, thousands of supporters gathered for the final day of their journey at the state Capitol. Since then, thousands of allies have shown up in support of their cause."

HUNT FOR HOUSING — " 'Our greatest challenge.' Inside the Sacramento region's $30 billion affordable housing crisis," by the Sacramento Bee's Ryan Lillis: "More than 60,000 units of housing for very low- and low-income earners need to be built this decade in the six-county region to keep up with demand, according to an analysis by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments."

IF IT WORKS — " 'I was so desperate that I didn't care if it killed me': Long-COVID sufferers turn to expensive, unproven treatments," by the San Francisco Chronicle's Nanette Asimov: "The names read like cure-alls touted by 19th century hucksters: hyperbaric oxygen, intravenous ozone, herbal tollovid, the Patterson Protocol. Some are under serious study by scientists seeking verifiable treatments. Others could be quackery, or even harmful."

— "More California cities enact rent control to protect tenants, upsetting apartment owners," by the Los Angeles Times' Summer Lin: "Rent control has long been a tool to protect people from being priced out of their homes. But with California's rents rising amid a hot real estate market, more cities are turning to the protections."

FAST FOOD FRENZY — "California Fights to Set Minimum Work Standards in Fast Food Establishments Statewide ," by Capitol & Main's Mark Kreidle: "Passage could dramatically affect the fortunes of more than 550,000 service workers in California, potentially improving their pay, curbing wage theft and protecting them against sexual harassment in the workplace, among other things."

UNFILLED AND UNFULFILLED — " Why California's largest reservoir in nearly 50 years may be derailed by water shortages," by the San Francisco Chronicle's Kurtis Alexander: "Much of the money is already lined up, and as state water shortages have intensified, the project has won increasing bipartisan support, including from Gov. Gavin Newsom. But there's a problem: There may not be enough water to fill the new reservoir."

— " Guerrero, taking reins of state Supreme Court, isn't seen shifting from its consensus path," by the San Diego Union-Tribune's Greg Moran: "Her ascent to become the leader of the court caps not only an inspiring personal story, but also a remarkably rapid rise through the state judiciary for the 50-year-old Guerrero."

A message from SEIU United Healthcare Workers West:

BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL

— Ro Khanna's Apology Tour. And Why Trump Voters Love It. by POLITICO's Michael Kruse: As Democrats look ahead to 2024 and beyond, it's an article of faith that they'll only keep the White House if they field a candidate — like Joe Biden, even Bernie Sanders — who can speak to enough Rust Belt voters to keep them in the Democratic fold.

SHOOT FOR THE MOON — "NASA's return to the moon begins Monday with a rocket launch ," by the Los Angeles Times' Samantha Masunaga: "The launch is the first of NASA's Artemis lunar program — named after the Greek goddess of the moon and twin sister of sun god Apollo. The 42-day mission that launches Monday is intended to push the capsule to its limits to ensure it's ready to carry a crew on future missions."

SILICON VALLEYLAND

— "Two swatting attempts on Marjorie Taylor Greene used bog-standard tech," by ArsTechnica's Ashley Belanger: "Yesterday, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) tweeted to sound the alarm that she had been "swatted" around 1 am. "Swatting" is a term for incidents that involve a false report of emergencies like suicide or gun violence that leads police to send a SWAT team or armed tactical unit to enter a person's home, often with guns drawn."

HOLLYWOODLAND

— "Britney Spears makes a triumphant return with Elton John on 'Hold Me Closer'," by the Los Angeles Times' Mikael Wood: "For Spears, 40, "Hold Me Closer" — which according to the song's credits also interpolates "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," John's chart-topping 1976 duet with Kiki Dee — serves as a kind of coming-out party following the recent legal victory that freed her from the onerous conservatorship that ruled her life and work for nearly 14 years."

MEDIA MATTERS

— "Hello, Sheriff's Department? How about a straight answer?" by the Los Angeles Times' Alene Tchekmedyian: "When chasing a story, I eventually get to the point where I need to tell sheriff's officials what I am working on and ask for an official response. It is here that things all too often turn frustrating."

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MIXTAPE

— "Enviromental group reports large numbers of fish dying all over SF Bay," by Bay City News Foundation's Tony Hicks.

INTERSTATE FEUDING — "Yes, Texans actually pay more in taxes than Californians do," by Chron's Ariana Garcia.

— " Op-Ed: What I needed was a rest break on the Island of Grieving and Useless Folks," opines Firoozeh Dumas for the Los Angeles Times.

NEXT DESTINATION — " I tracked thieves stealing my car in S.F. Then I saw firsthand what police can — and can't — do next," by the San Francisco Chronicle's Megan Cassidy.

— "Teachers Will Boycott First 'Optional' Day Of LAUSD's Extended School Year, Union Says ," by LAist's Kyle Stokes.

IN MEMORIAM

— "Al Saracevic, a big personality as a longtime Examiner and Chronicle editor and columnist, dies at 52," by the San Francisco Chronicle's Sam Whiting and Michael Lerseth.

BIRTHDAYS

FRIDAY: Jordan Wong of Rep. Katie Porter's (D-Calif.) office ... Marissa Currie … Oracle's Josh Pitcock

A message from SEIU United Healthcare Workers West:

During the height of the pandemic, with COVID-19 infections and deaths on the rise, schools and businesses across California were closing. But healthcare workers continued to go to work, risking their lives to care for their patients. Even when protective equipment was scarce and there were no vaccines to slow the spread, they showed up for us and our communities. For many healthcare workers, they put their lives on the line for as little as $15 an hour.

These heroes deserve better. Together, we can make a difference. Contact your state lawmakers. Tell them to increase the minimum wage to $25 an hour for California's healthcare workers.

CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this subscriber-only service offers, click here.

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