Officials at Southern California energy utilities say they have the power they need to weather the permanent closure of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.

But the decision to shut down a plant that provided about a fifth of San Diego and southern Orange County’s power is leading to other challenges: an increase in greenhouse gas emissions; massive layoffs; and the question of how to store spent nuclear fuel.
The Southern California power plant has been out of commission since January 2012, when a radiation leak revealed major internal problems in its tubing system. San Onofre’s Units 2 and 3 produced 2,200 megawatts of electricity – enough to power 1.4 million homes, according to Southern California Edison Vice President David Mead. The utility made the decision to permanently shutter the power plant last month.
Less Nuclear Means More Greenhouse Gases
Testifying in front of the state Senate’s Energy Utilities and Communication Committee Wednesday morning, Mead told lawmakers that power plants fueled by natural gas have bridged Southern California’s electricity-generating gap since San Onofre went offline. That has led to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. While 50 percent of SCE’s electricity came from carbon dioxide-free sources (nuclear, hydroelectric and renewable) in 2011, that number dropped to 30 percent in 2012. This comes at a time when California is trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the end of the decade.