It’s down to the wire for Governor Newsom’s plan to keep California’s last nuclear power plant open beyond its scheduled shutdown, just three years from now.

State lawmakers will vote tonight on whether to extend the life of Diablo Canyon, with fierce lobbying on both sides of the issue.

Some environmentalists say it’s foolish and dangerous to keep Diablo Canyon open any longer than 2025, while others say it makes ecological sense to let it run until 2030 or even 2035. Some experts warn of a catastrophe if a major earthquake strikes the Central Coast, while others say there is little risk at all. Governor Newsom and Senator Feinstein want to keep the plant open to help meet California’s growing energy needs and avoid rolling blackouts, a critical issue this week as the state braces for a searing heat wave. Others say it’s long past time to move beyond nuclear and generate more power from wind and solar. All of this comes to a head tonight at the state Capitol, where lawmakers will vote on competing measures to decide Diablo Canyon’s future.

In San Luis Obispo, a group called Mothers For Peace renewed its call to shut the plant down, expressing fears about the safety of their families. But not every mom living near Diablo Canyon feels that way.

For more on this, KCBS political reporter Doug Souvern and KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with Kristin Zaitz. She is a civil engineer who went to Cal Poly-SLO, works at Diablo Canyon, has three kids, and has co-founded a group called Mothers For Nuclear.