Southern California Edison (SCE) told a California Senate energy committee that it could cost $4.1 billion and take 15 years to decommission the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), according to reports.

SCE said in June that it was permanently shutting down the nuclear power plant. Both units had been shut down since January 2012 after a leak was discovered in tubes in the steam generators manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). SCE has blamed MHI for causing them to shut down the plant, but MHI is denying that claim, according to Power Engineering.

SCE and state regulators are trying to determine who should foot the bill for costs incurred due to the shutdown, but the utility has said ratepayers may have to foot the bill for costs that could run into the billions.