California Governor signs AB 2647, ordering a state study of new nuclear energy
On Wednesday September 30th, Governor Newsom signed AB 2647 (Calderon) into law.
Some background: Since 1976, California law has blocked new nuclear plants until there is a federal solution for spent fuel. AB 2647 does not lift that rule. It was amended from a moratorium change into a study bill, yet the study itself is meaningful.
What the law does:
The California Energy Commission (CEC) must complete a comprehensive assessment by January 1, 2028 of how advanced nuclear and new in-state plants could help meet the state's goal of 100% zero-carbon electricity by 2045.
The study must cover system costs, reliability, emissions, deployment timelines, siting, waste and advanced fuel cycles, workforce, and a comparison of waste and health impacts across all generation types.
It must look at nuclear energy in high-renewable grid scenarios that need firm, zero-carbon resources.
It must recommend changes to state law, including the sections behind the moratorium.
The CEC may hold public workshops and take input from academics, developers, investors, utilities, labor, ratepayer advocates, and environmental groups.
The CEC, CPUC, CAISO, and other agencies may now evaluate nuclear energy for long-term resource planning, even with the siting limits still in place.
How you can help: Energy models are only as good as their data. When the CEC opens its workshops, people with good data on cost, reliability, and new reactor designs should show up and submit comments.
Bill text: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2647
Disclosure: I contributed to writing this bill and worked on it as a volunteer with NiCE Club and others. Happy to answer questions.