Devilish! Customers to pony up $706 million for Diablo

The Public Utilities Commission has greenlighted new rate increases for PG&E customers:

State regulators gave Pacific Gas and Electric Co. preliminary approval Thursday to charge its customers $706 million to refurbish the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant, a decision that all but guarantees the disputed project will move forward.

San Francisco's PG&E wants to replace eight steam generators at the plant, tucked into a sea cove near San Luis Obispo. The plan has drawn fire from environmentalists, who never wanted the plant, and consumer advocates, who question spending hundreds of millions on a $5.8 billion facility just 20 years old.