Southern California Edison

SONGS Decommissioning

Southern California Edison (SCE) and its co-owners officially announced the decommissioning of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in June 2013. The multi-stage decommissioning and demolition project planning began shortly thereafter and involved federal and state agencies including the US Navy, the land owner; the California State Lands Commission (CSLC), the tidal land owner; the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; and the California Coastal Commission.

As SCE finalized its plans to obtain the necessary permits and approvals for the decommissioning and dismantlement, SCE staff developed a comprehensive approach that emphasized safety, stewardship, and engagement. SCE hired CEA to help the company grow and maintain relationships with nonprofit stakeholders and to advise the SONGS team on stakeholder outreach and a comprehensive permitting strategy.

CEA’s professional connections and considerable experience in the environmental sector informed effective outreach strategies for SCE. CEA was able to engage key stakeholders during the permitting process and help the SCE team respond to questions and concerns. As a result of CEA’s work, SCE identified and addressed several important issues for stakeholders throughout the CSLC California Environmental Quality Act process. The CSLC certified the project’s Final Environmental Impact Report and approved a new lease for the decommissioning project in March 2019.