SAN ONOFRE, Calif., Nov. 1 (UPI) -- The closure of the San Onofre, Calif., nuclear plant has cost more than $317 million, mostly for the purchase of replacement power, Edison International said.
The company said in a quarterly report Thursday since the plant was shut down in January it has spent $221 million on replacement power and $96 million on repair and inspection through September, The Orange County Register reported.
A small radioactive gas leak caused the second unit of the power plant to be shut down Jan. 31; the first unit already had been shut down for routine maintenance.
Inspectors discovered unexpected wear in steam generator tubes in both units, and the plant has remained dormant ever since. The problems were pinned on design flaws that were part of a $670 million overhaul between 2009 and 2011, the newspaper said.
Edison Chairman Ted Craver told investors in a Thursday conference call "complete replacement of the steam generators would take some years."
