No blackouts expected this summer amid San Onofre closure

Operators of the state’s electrical grid say they are not expecting disruptions of electrical service as a result of the permanent closure of San Onofre nuclear generating station.

“We are not predicting any blackouts or brownouts,” said Steven Greenlee, spokesman for the California Independent System Operator in Sacramento. “We are working with the utilities and state agencies to develop a plan for replacing that power.”

Earlier this month, Southern California Edison announced that it will retire the nuclear plant after a radiation leak in one of the plant’s steam generators forced the plant to shut down more than a year ago. The plant provided about 10 percent of the state’s power.

The most immediate concern is making sure that enough replacement power is being transmitted into Southern California where the plant is located, Greenlee said.

The agency is looking at a combination of natural gas and renewable energy to replace the power that San Onofre produced.

This story was originally published June 10, 2013 at 4:17 PM with the headline "No blackouts expected this summer amid San Onofre closure."