Bill that would restore Diablo Canyon money to SLO County school district moves on
A bill aimed at restoring funding for local agencies lost due to the previously planned closure of Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in San Luis Obispo County just passed a key hurdle.
According to a news release from Central Coast lawmaker Sen. John Laird’s office, SB 931 passed the California Senate on Tuesday.
The proposed legislation, which was introduced in March, aims to fill a gap in funding that has left SLO County schools and public agencies reeling after PG&E doled out its final mitigation payments in 2025. Those payments were negotiated through a 2016 settlement as agencies prepared for the closure of Diablo Canyon.
The end of the mitigation payments and loss of ongoing funding from PG&E has caused financial strain for some SLO County agencies.
The San Luis Coastal school district has slashed around $10 million from its budget over three years to cope with the planned loss of PG&E funds, resulting in cuts to teachers, counselors and programming that drew sharp criticisms from parents and staff.
And as Diablo Canyon operations have continued, parents and school officials have called on lawmakers and PG&E to restore funding to local agencies.
If passed and signed into law, Laird’s proposal would allow the essential services mitigation payments to continue through 2030, “aligning the program with the state’s decision to extend Diablo Canyon’s operations,” the release said.
“SB 931 ensures that communities surrounding Diablo Canyon are not left carrying the financial burden of supporting critical public services tied to the plant’s continued operation,” Laird said in the release. “This funding supports emergency preparedness, fire protection, public safety, and education — services local residents have relied on for decades.”
According to the release, SB 931 passed the Senate on a 29-10 vote Tuesday. The bill will now head to the California Assembly.
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