Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has high-tension power lines erected on the other side of Chorro Creek. During days of inclement weather when PG&E helicopters are unable to fly, they must have access to those powerlines.
The walk bridge takes on new importance and significance if there’s an electrical emergency with the high-power electrical lines coming from El Diablo nuclear powerplant.
PG&E may be able to gain access to their powerlines from the backside of the mountain, but it’s much quicker access to cross Chorro Creek. In an emergency, it’s good to have access from all quadrants and the closest access to PG&E powerlines is over Chorro Creek.
The Diablo Canyon Power Plant is located near Avila Beach. Since the permanent shutdown of the San Onofre nuclear generating station in 2013, Diablo Canyon has been the only operational nuclear plant and largest single power station in California.
It was the subject of controversy and protests during its construction with nearly two thousand civil disobedience arrests in a two-week period in 1981.
The plant has two reactors that produce about 18,000 GW-h of electricity annually which is 8.6% of total California generation and 23% of carbon-free generation supplying the needs of more than three million people.
In August 2022 California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed providing PG&E with a $1.4 billion loan to support the continued operation of Diablo Canyon for another 5 to 10 years. The California Legislature approved the loan on September 1st.
The bottom line is that Diablo Canyon generating station is vitally important to millions of people and if all else fails, their linemen may need to use the walk bridge to get to Diablo Canyon powerline structures.
This is a subject that no one apparently wants to talk about, but if PG&E need to use the walk bridge for emergency access, they’ll be out of luck when the City of Morro Bay decides to unilaterally destroy the bridge.
Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant is located ten (10) miles from the walk bridge. PG&E power lines are only 3,423 feet from the walk bridge. It would be prudent for PG&E to weigh in on efforts to keep the walk bridge open.
Again, it’s vitally important for PG&E linemen to have unfettered access to those power lines 24/7. During a major storm event, the Canet Road walk bridge could provide PG&E the access they need to resolve an major power loss to millions of customers.