"The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said its latest analysis of seismic faults near PG&E Corp's Diablo Canyon nuclear station in California showed the coastal plant could withstand an earthquake generated by an offshore fault identified in 2008, according to a statement on Friday."

"The NRC's report focuses on the latest identified earthquake source, called the 'Shoreline fault,' just offshore from the plant in San Luis Obispo County, about 183 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

Diablo Canyon operator Pacific Gas & Electric said it welcomed the NRC finding 'which confirms that Diablo Canyon is seismically safe and is designed to withstand the maximum ground motions that seismic faults in the region are believed capable of producing,' in a separate statement.

PG&E notified the NRC about the Shoreline fault in 2008. At 2,240 megawatts, Diablo Canyon is the larger of the state's two nuclear power plants, supplying about 10 percent of the state's power needs."

Eileen O'Grady reports for Reuters October 15, 2012. [2]