Diablo Canyon, California’s only remaining nuclear power plant, slated for decommissioning in 2029, has taken a surprising turn by integrating artificial intelligence. Despite its uncertain future, the plant has become the first U.S. nuclear facility to deploy AI on-site, sparking both excitement and concern. Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), which operates Diablo Canyon, has partnered with AI startup Atomic Canyon to implement Neutron Enterprise, an AI tool designed to help workers navigate the plant's vast trove of technical documents and regulations. This collaboration marks a significant step toward modernizing the nuclear energy industry, but also raises important questions about safety and oversight. Neutron Enterprise is powered by eight NVIDIA H100 GPUs, some of the most powerful processors available. The AI system is designed to streamline the process of searching through millions of pages of documents from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and internal plant records. Maureen Zawalick, PG&E’s vice president of business and technical services, estimates that the AI will significantly reduce the 15,000 hours spent annually searching for information. Trey Lauderdale, CEO of Atomic Canyon, emphasizes that Neutron Enterprise is currently intended as a document retrieval tool, not a decision-maker. He stated, “You can put this on the record: the AI guy in nuclear says there is no way in hell I want AI running my nuclear power plant right now.” However, both PG&E and Atomic Canyon acknowledge the potential for expanding AI's role in the future. The deployment of Neutron Enterprise is being rolled out in phases. The initial phase focuses on using the AI to search publicly available regulatory data. The next phase, expected in the third quarter of 2025, will expand the AI's capabilities to include searching and summarizing internal documents using optical character recognition (OCR) and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) technologies. This will allow employees to more easily access and utilize Diablo Canyon-specific instructions and reports. The introduction of AI at Diablo Canyon has prompted discussions about the need for adequate safeguards and regulations. While Atomic Canyon is voluntarily keeping the NRC informed of its plans, some lawmakers and experts are calling for more comprehensive oversight. The NRC Inspector General has identified AI's impact on nuclear safety and security as a major challenge, and a commission-sponsored report has highlighted regulatory gaps in the industry. Tamara Kneese, director of tech policy nonprofit Data & Society’s Climate, Technology, and Justice program, acknowledges the potential benefits of AI for efficiency but cautions against assuming that its use will remain limited. Democratic Assemblymember Dawn Addis has expressed concerns about safety, oversight, and job implications, emphasizing the need for guardrails to prevent the replacement and automation of jobs. Atomic Canyon's journey to Diablo Canyon began with CEO Trey Lauderdale's move to San Luis Obispo in 2021. After learning about the nuclear plant and its challenges, he launched Atomic Canyon in 2023. The company started by downloading approximately 53 million pages of publicly available NRC documents. Lauderdale proactively informed the NRC about this activity to ensure they were aware of his intentions. Atomic Canyon partnered with the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory to develop AI models capable of processing nuclear jargon and minimizing errors. These models, collectively known as FERMI, form the basis of the Neutron Enterprise software. PG&E subsequently invited Atomic Canyon to Diablo Canyon to observe operational inefficiencies that AI could address. Neutron Enterprise is installed without cloud access to protect sensitive internal documents. PG&E maintains that its data storage policies meet all NRC and Department of Energy requirements. Users can still revert to manual searches if the AI fails to find the necessary information. The AI also generates summaries of documents, but these summaries do not alter the original content. State lawmakers have generally expressed cautious optimism about the partnership between PG&E and Atomic Canyon. Senator Henry Stern supports AI tools that improve grid management, provided that safety protocols are followed. Senator John Laird emphasizes the need to balance technological advancement with public safety and environmental stewardship. Senator Scott Wiener agrees that AI can be beneficial if it enhances the efficiency of Diablo Canyon. Supervisors from the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors have also weighed in. Supervisor Bruce Gibson stresses the importance of transparency and public updates from PG&E. Supervisor Heather Moreno views the AI as a “supercharged” search engine that represents a good first step in using AI at Diablo Canyon. Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg, a former PG&E employee, is encouraged by the collaboration between Diablo Canyon and Atomic Canyon. Despite the current focus on document retrieval, concerns remain about the potential for broader AI decision-making in the future. Senator Wiener emphasizes the need for government standards in sensitive contexts like nuclear power plants. The NRC Inspector General has identified the impact of AI on nuclear safety and security as a major challenge, and a report has recommended developing AI-specific guides. Atomic Canyon and PG&E are committed to keeping the NRC informed of their activities. Lauderdale believes that the nuclear industry’s cautious approach will serve as a “natural buffer” against overly invasive AI integrations. PG&E’s Zawalick has met with the NRC’s AI working group to discuss regulations. The Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee, a state-appointed safety group, learned about the PG&E-Atomic Canyon deal through media reports. After conducting fact-finding visits, the committee concluded that Diablo Canyon’s use of AI is “positive” and poses no safety concerns at this time. Atomic Canyon is currently in discussions with other nuclear organizations and plans to make “really exciting announcements” later this year. Lauderdale hopes that the partnership with Diablo Canyon will serve as a proof of concept for other facilities and companies interested in building or re-commissioning nuclear plants. He also believes that his software can be used for Diablo Canyon’s decommissioning process, should it proceed as planned. Lauderdale concludes by reiterating that his startup’s product does not have a significant operational role and that AI will not be running nuclear power plants “for a very long time.” The future of AI in nuclear energy remains uncertain, but the deployment at Diablo Canyon represents a significant first step, one that demands careful consideration and robust oversight.
