1st largest plant in California · 53rd nationally
Diablo Canyon is a nuclear power plant in California with a nameplate capacity of 2,323 MW. It generates roughly 17.7M MWh per year — enough to power about 1,687,463 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 87% means it runs nearly around-the-clock as baseload generation.
| Plant Name | Diablo Canyon |
|---|---|
| Operator | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. |
| City | Avila Beach |
| County | San Luis Obispo County |
| State | California |
| ZIP | 93424 |
| Coordinates | 35.21154, -120.85554 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Nuclear | Uranium | 1,164 MW | Operating | 1986 |
| 1 | Nuclear | Uranium | 1,159 MW | Operating | 1985 |
| NERC Region | WECC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | California Independent System Operator |
Nuclear plants generate carbon-free baseload electricity by fissioning uranium fuel inside a reactor. They run nearly around-the-clock — typical capacity factors above 90% — and a single facility can power millions of homes. Spent fuel is stored on-site in dry casks. NRC oversees safety; emergency planning zones extend 10 miles from the reactor.