The Cost of Power Post-San Onofre

By Hailey Persinger, KPBS

How much will it cost to power your home now that San Onofre is offline for good? Short answer: possibly more.

The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station shut down in January of 2012 prompted a rise in wholesale power prices that has persisted through 2013, according to a study released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration in March.

Now, as Southern California Edison prepares to shut down the power plant on the San Clemente coast, it's unclear what will happen to individual power prices.

According to the EIA study, the wholesale price per megawatthour — the amount of electricity used to power about 330 homes in a single hour — jumped to more than $50 from about $30. The study notes that "Southern California power prices have persistently exceeded Northern California prices."

It also notes that "Southern California needs to use local generation sources and cannot solely rely on imported electricity to replace generation from SONGS."

Alternatives to SONGS, according to the study, are more expensive and will likely contribute to higher prices in the future.

Check out the entire study here.