California Legislature Orders Study of Lifting 50-Year Ban on New Nuclear Reactors
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 9
California Legislature Orders Study of Lifting 50-Year Ban on New Nuclear Reactors
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 9
Summary
Last month, California lawmakers passed a bill commissioning a study on partly lifting the state's long-standing moratorium on new nuclear reactors.
The shift reflects growing concern that California may need nuclear power to meet its 2045 target of sourcing 100% of electricity from clean energy.
Diablo Canyon — the state's last operating nuclear plant — is also under debate for a life extension after California shut its other reactors over recent decades.
The moratorium was imposed about 50 years ago until the federal government established a permanent repository for spent nuclear fuel, a condition still unmet.