San Onofre Future Still Up in Air, Plant Chief Says

Despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars on upgrades in recent years, officials at San Onofre's nuclear power station said they still haven't decided whether to seek an extension of the plant's operating license.

Chief Nuclear Officer Pete Dietrich said the completed early last year and the underway this year could keep the plant operating past 2022, the end of its current license.

But Southern California Edison officials are , he said. When a decision is made on whether to seek a renewal, plant officials will notify the media, Dietrich said.

If Edison wants to keep the plant going, the first step is asking the California Public Utilities Commission to allow the company to spend the money for the relicensing process, an expense that would be passed on to the ratepayers.

Dietrich would not comment on a potential California ballot measure in the signature stage that calls for the shutdown of nuclear plants in California.

"We really don't comment or respond on ballot issues until we understand from officials whether they will be on the ballot," Dietrich said.

Elections officials will announce in April whether or not the anti-nuclear power measure has enough signatures to go on the ballot.