Heather Hoff, a control room worker at Diablo Canyon’s nuclear plant, was in San Luis Obispo County when an earthquake created a tsunami which cut off power supplies to three nuclear reactors located at Fukushima Daiichi, a Japanese nuclear power station. Fukushima had three cores of nuclear reactors that melted. 

Hoff said in a video interview that “it was very scary.” “It’s my worst nightmare as an operator — to be there and think about these other operators just across the ocean from us. They aren’t aware of what is happening with their plant. They don’t have power. They have no idea if anyone is hurt.

Hoff stated that the initial days following the accident were “very scary” because of what he was seeing on television. 

However, as the information on the meltdown grew more accessible over time, the effects of the accident became apparent. Although three employees who worked for the Tokyo Electric Power Company died because of the earthquake and resulting tsunamiThe nuclear reactor accident did not cause any deaths. 

Hoff explained that “Three plants suffered meltdowns” and it wasn’t really harmful anyone. That was truly amazing to me. 

Hoff changed her mind after the Fukushima disaster. She no longer feared that she would have to quit her job, but was now committed to nuclear’s potential to make a reliable and clean contribution to global energy supplies.

“Now I feel more strongly than ever that nuclear is the right choice and that the most damaging aspects about nuclear aren’t the technology, but my fear and our human responses to it.”

Hoff had to go through her own transformation in how she thought about nuclear energy and co-founded an advocacy group. Mothers for NuclearIn 2016 she is pictured here with her friend, colleague. Kristin Zaitz.

“There’s so much fear and so much misinformation… it’s a convenient villain,” Hoff said. Hoff said, “It is okay to feel afraid. However, that doesn’t make it dangerous.”

Diablo Canyon has been facing severe flooding. very controversial closureShe knows that some may think she is using her nuclear advocacy group as cover to defend her job.

However, she said it would have been “a lot simpler” for her to work at a decommissioning plant or another nuclear power station. 

According to her, instead, she feels a call to tell the tale of nuclear power’s role as a solution for climate change. 

“The more I learn about nuclear and our energy options, the more worried I get and the more passionate I get, and the more I feel like it’s my duty to to speak out and help change people’s minds and help us realize that keeping existing plants open can help us address climate change — can help us reach our energy goals,” Hoff told CNBC. 

Hoff remains optimistic despite all of the obstacles. Hoff believes that the sector’s energy needs to be “a new bad guy.” 

Hoff is not interested in focusing on fossil fuels.

Hoff stated that he doesn’t believe fossil fuels should be considered the enemy. He said energy was vital for everyone to live a high quality life. Hoff agreed. “I don’t know, maybe the enemy is extremism — like people that aren’t willing to talk about the options and what’s the best combination of all the stuff that we have to do to make people’s lives better while also protecting the planet.”

— CNBC’s Magdalena PetrovaContributed to the report.