I told you back in March that Governor Randall Flagg-lite – Gavin Newsom of California – had done an abrupt u-turn regarding the shuttering of the state’s last nuclear plant at Diablo Canyon.

In a volte-face worthy of a twinkle-toed Baryshnikov, Newsom went from climate cultist hero to dirty dog overnight when he realized – for once – not cutting the state’s energy throat was more important than not cutting his own. He said the plant, slated to close in 2025, should remain open until at least 2030. He also helped facilitate the panicked rush to get a Nuclear Regulatory Commission extension approved. The state had let their operating licenses expire in anticipation of shutting the facility down, and were shocked to find out the NRC wouldn’t just let them pick up where they’d left it. They were going to have to reapply for everything. Time crunch was on.

As I said in my post then, I figured lawsuits from environmentalists would be flying once they retrieved the pieces of their exploded heads, and I was correct.

“Friends of the Earth” (oh, come on) sued shortly after the announcement of the extension.

An environmental group on Tuesday sued to block Pacific Gas & Electric from seeking to extend the federal operating licenses for California’s last nuclear power plant.

A complaint filed in San Francisco Superior Court by Friends of the Earth asks the court to prohibit the utility from sidestepping its 2016 agreement with environmentalists and plant workers to close the twin-domed Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant by 2025.

The possibility of a longer operating run emerged last year after Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature opened the way for PG&E to seek an extended lifespan for the twin reactors. The company intends to apply to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission by the end of the year to extend operations by as much as two decades.

…The complaint describes the 2016 agreement as a “contract,” and asks the court to find it binding. It also asks for an order prohibiting PG&E from violating the contract.

Well, amazingly enough, in a CA courtroom today, the “Friends” did not prevail. I cannot express how astonished I am that a state judge wouldn’t do an activist dance all over Diablo’s grave if they had the chance.

I mean, wow.

A California judge on Thursday rejected an environmental group’s lawsuit that sought to block the state’s largest utility from seeking to extend the operating life of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant.

Friends of the Earth sued in state Superior Court in April, hoping to derail a state-backed proposal to keep the twin-domed plant running for at least five additional years. The group was part of a 2016 agreement with operator Pacific Gas & Electric to shutter the state’s last nuclear power plant by 2025.

Amid concerns over power supplies in a changing climate, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature opened the way for PG&E to seek a longer lifespan last year. In legal filings, the environmental group argued that the 2016 deal to close the reactors “is not fully extinguished,” and that the utility would break what it called a binding contract if it asked federal regulators to extend the operating licenses.

In an 18-page ruling, Judge Ethan P. Schulman dismissed the complaint, agreeing with the company that Friends of the Earth was asking the court to “impermissibly hinder or interfere” with state regulatory oversight of the seaside plant, located midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

If the group’s request was granted, the court would be placed in conflict with state regulators, and it would “enmesh the court in complex questions of energy, economic and environmental policy” that are best handled by the California Public Utilities Commission and other agencies, Schulman wrote.

The “Friends” are pissed and vow to fight on for Gaia, but for the moment, 9% of CA’s electrical generation is safe. And may be for even longer than had been teased in March. That should infuriate even more Green weenies.

…The operating license for the Unit 1 reactor expires next year, and the Unit 2 license expires in 2025. The company intends to apply to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission by the end of the year to extend operations by as much as two decades.

Twenty more years? That is a lifetime – a lot of attitudes can change in a couple decades. Maybe there’s hope.

At least one person realizes what having nuclear means to CA right now.

i am once again thanking diablo canyon for existing and CAISO for having an unnecessarily good website https://t.co/XvbxcjI3xZ pic.twitter.com/aZFwW5v5MJ

— idiot doom spiral (@mobert_roses) August 23, 2023

This chart tells you how erratic CA energy has been. All the whacko spaghetti lines are renewables. For all the pooh-poohing about Trop Storm Hilary’s impacts, it knocked the snot out of CA’s solar output. They do not have the capacity to make up for that shortfall if demand goes up. Imagine if they lost 9% more.

Those lines on the chart I’ve highlighted that are straight, true and rock steady?

Nuclear and “other,” which I believe would be the natural gas fired plants on the coast who also just received a reprieve on their death sentences.

I mean, what’s to argue?

Well, if you’re a cultist, you can’t help yourself.

Anyone else in CA should be delighted.