SONGS (San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station)
Located between San Onofre State Beach and San Onofre Surf Beach is San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. SONGS provides nearly 20-percent of the power to more than 15-million people in Southern California. The 84-acre site is in the northwestern corner of San Diego County, south of San Clemente, and surrounded by the San Onofre State Park.
Unit 1 is no longer in service. This reactor was a first generation Westinghouse pressurized water reactorCombustion Engineering pressurized water reactors, continue to operate and generate 1,172 MWe that operated for 25 years, closing permanently in 1992. Units 2 and 3, and 1,178 MWe respectively.
The plant is operated by Southern California Edison. Edison International, parent of SCE, holds 78% ownership in the plant; San Diego Gas & Electric Company, 20%; and the City of Riverside Utilities Department, 1.8%.
The environment is protected from potential unexpected releases of radioactivity by strong, spherical containment buildings. This containment structure feature was missing at the reactors at Chernobyl.