Sacramento – The Assembly Natural Resources Committee rejected AB 65, a bipartisan bill which would’ve allowed Small Modular Reactors, which are advanced nuclear reactors, to apply for the nuclear certification process. Assemblyman Mathis issued the following statement upon the rejection of AB 65.
“I am disappointed in the Committee for rejecting my pro-climate & pro-energy energy bill. What the Committee has shown is that they clearly don’t understand the difference between old nuclear plants and advanced nuclear plants. As it stands now, our state will not reach its goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2045. In fact, according to a report from the Environmental Defense Fund, Stanford & Princeton, even if we could achieve our 2045 carbon-zero goal with only wind & solar, electricity prices would rise by around 65% compared to current rates. Expanding nuclear power is the only way our state can reduce carbon emissions while ensuring that we have enough power to reduce costs for the public & prevent blackouts that are all too common in this state. I want to thank all the Legislators who supported this bill for your support and courage. I also want to thank The Breakthrough Institute, Generation Atomic, The Earthineering Company, and The Anthropocene Institute for testifying in favor of this bill. I hope this body one day educates itself to the new technology, so we can finally get serious about ensuring clean & affordable energy for Californians.”
