Costs for Calif nuke shutdown over $550 million
Costs linked to San Onofre nuke plant shutdown soar over $550M, while plant retirement raised
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Costs tied to California's idle San Onofre nuclear power plant have hit $553 million, while the company that runs it is raising the possibility of retiring the plant if it can't get one reactor running later this year.
The plant between San Diego and Los Angeles has not produced electricity since January 2012, when a tiny radiation leak led to the discovery of damage to hundreds of tubes carrying radioactive water.
Edison International — parent company of operator Southern California Edison — reported Tuesday that $109 million has been spent on repairs and inspections and $444 million for replacement power.
Edison wants federal regulators to allow restart of Unit 2. Without that approval, Chairman Ted Craver says a decision to retire one or both reactors might be made this year.
