SACRAMENTO – When the state extended operations at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant through 2030, it did not extend the community funding established to offset local impacts. Senator John Laird (D–Santa Cruz) and principal coauthor Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) today introduced legislation to address that funding gap and ensure continued support for local governments and schools in San Luis Obispo County.

Senate Bill 931 would continue the Community Impact Mitigation Program through 2030, ensuring local governments and public services continue to receive funding while Diablo Canyon remains in operation.

“Communities in San Luis Obispo County have relied on this funding to support essential public services, including fire protection, public safety response, and local schools until Diablo Canyon’s planned closure,” said Laird. “When the state extended the plant’s operations, it’s only fair that we also extend the funding commitments made to support those communities.”

“As a resident of San Luis Obispo County — where I raised my children, taught in public schools, and served on the Morro Bay City Council — I know how critical every dollar is for our schools, our local governments, and, most importantly, our children and families,” said Addis. “When the five-year extension of Diablo Canyon was approved in 2022, it left our schools and local governments short tens-of-millions of dollars in funds that had previously been used to provide services to those most in need.  I am proud to co-sponsor SB 931 that will begin to right this wrong and ensure our local communities are no longer left behind.”

The Community Program was first established as part of a 2016 settlement between the County of San Luis Obispo, local governmental entities, and PG&E to help offset the impacts of the plant’s anticipated early closure. The program has provided more than $9 million annually to local governments and public agencies – including San Luis Obispo County and the San Luis Coastal Unified School District – to support essential public services.

Under current law, the Community Program funding was set to end in 2025, when Diablo Canyon was originally scheduled to close. However, the plant’s operations were later extended through 2030 without extending that funding.

SB 931 corrects that mismatch by extending the Community Program through the end of 2030, ensuring continued support for local governments, schools, and services impacted by the plant’s ongoing operations.

The bill will take effect immediately upon the Governor’s signature to prevent any disruption in funding and ensure that impacted communities continue to receive support.

“SB 931 ensures that these communities are not left behind and that the state honors its commitments,” said Laird.