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Health & Fitness

SCE Decided to Officially Close San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant

Only two nuclear power plants were left in California, San Onofre and Diablo Canyon located in San Luis Obispo County. Last Friday the announcement was made that the Southern California Edison (SCE) will take San Onofre offline after an arduous 16 month debate whether the plant could be safely reopened. SCE has over 2 billion saved to pay for the decommissioning.

San Onofre was built to power Southern California’s growing energy appetite and at its peak could power over 1.4 million homes. After 40 years of generation the plant had to be taken offline in January 2012, due to a leak in one of the generators. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission implemented more extensive upkeep after the Japanese Fukushima disaster. These regulations increased the cost of maintenance which helped SCE make an economical and environmental decision to take the plant offline.

Due to the regions energy needs there are alternatives such as solar and natural gas which will help make up for the energy lost by the plant. Mission Viejo residents have the opportunity to take part in the Mission Viejo Solar Program. This Program is administered by Sullivan Solar Power, and offers residents the opportunity to get paid to get solar. Through this program residents are able to receive up to $1,500 cash-back. The program will end June 17, 2013.

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So far fifteen residents have declared energy independence. If you are interested in learning more about the Mission Viejo Solar Program visit MissionViejoSolarProgram.org or call 1.800.SULLIVAN.






Find out what's happening in Mission Viejowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

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