The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has renewed the operating licences of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power station in California for an additional 20 years, marking the 99th and 100th renewed commercial reactor operating licences in the country.

There are two Westinghouse pressurised water reactor (PWR) units at Diablo Canyon, California’s last operational nuclear power station.

Three other nuclear stations have all been permanently shut down. They are the three-unit San Onofre and the single-unit Humboldt Bay and single-unit Rancho Seco.

Diablo Canyon-1 has a net capacity of 1,138 MW and began commercial operation in 1985. Diablo Canyon-2, a 1,118-MW PWR, followed in 1986.