Central Valley water leaders tour the control room at Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo County during a recent visit to learn about nuclear energy’s role in California’s power supply. Courtesy of Ryan Jacobsen
published on August 17, 2026 – 5:04 PM
Written by Frank Lopez
Fresno County Farm Bureau President Ryan Jacobsen recently joined other Central Valley water leaders for a tour of Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo County to learn more about nuclear energy and its role in California’s power supply.
Jacobsen said the tour provided a closer look at how Diablo Canyon operates and the role nuclear power plays in California’s energy mix.
Jacobsen said Diablo Canyon supplies about 9% of the state’s electricity, making the plant a significant part of California’s power grid.
“It was an incredible experience,” Jacobsen said. “You hear the word ‘nuclear energy’ but most of us don’t really understand how that works. I now absolutely understand how it works and it’s a pretty amazing resource that we have.”
Efficient energy
He said nuclear energy is “extraordinarily efficient” for the generation of electricity and Diablo Canyon is an incredible operation to see firsthand.
Agriculture is an energy- and fuel-intensive industry, with electricity needed to move water and operate equipment such as tractors. Food processing operations also depend heavily on reliable power.
Jacobsen said seeing the plant’s operations firsthand reinforced the importance of nuclear energy and the regulatory decisions surrounding Diablo Canyon’s future.
Extensions on the horizon
Diablo Canyon Power Plant is permitted by the federal government through 2045, while state permitting extends through 2029 for one reactor and 2030 for the other.
Jacobsen said the state should consider permit extensions sooner rather than later, arguing that long-term certainty is important for a facility requiring significant investment.
“These types of facilities take an incredible amount of investment, and without certainty it’s hard to invest. Part of this (tour) was looking into the political side to this in the sense that this is an overall important part of the state utility and yet there is still some uncertainty over whether or not it’s going to operate after 2029/2030,” Jacobsen said.