Recent plant operations in San Diego

Will San Diego build a nuclear fusion plant?

San Diego company plans to build a nuclear fusion plant. Will the pilot program work? Can the dream of fusion power plants really “transform the world” or do years of technical challenges just make it “a bridge too far?” A rendering of a nuclear fusion pilot plant proposed by San Diego-based General Atomics.

Could a pilot plant be built in Southern California?

Theoretically, the pilot plant could be built anywhere in the country but, Solomon said “all of our folks working here would love to see it being built in Southern California,” if costs and regulations prove to be amenable. General Atomics officials estimate the plant’s footprint would resemble that of a conventional electricity-generating station.

Does California have a nuclear power plant?

The Unit 1 generator at Pacific Gas and Electric’s Diablo Canyon Power Plant, the only operating nuclear power plant in California. The California Public Utilities Commission has approved $722.6 million in ratepayer costs to cover the continued operation of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant — the state’s only functioning nuclear energy source.

Where would a pilot plant be built?

Solomon said it will probably not be at the company’s headquarters near La Jolla or on its Poway campus. Theoretically, the pilot plant could be built anywhere in the country but, Solomon said “all of our folks working here would love to see it being built in Southern California,” if costs and regulations prove to be amenable.

When will General Atomics start a pilot plant?

The pilot plant will not be some theoretical research project. Upon completion, the plant will be one that “uses real fuel and produces real electricity with generators,” Grierson said. As for when the plant will start operating, no specific date has been announced but General Atomics’ Solomon said the company is looking at the mid-2030s.