Sacramento – Last week, the Assembly Utilities & Energy Committee passed AB 2092 (Mathis – 2024), which would authorize the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to conduct a feasibility study on the advantages of permitting & constructing Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). Assemblyman Mathis issued the following statement after the vote:
“The Utilities & Energy Committee unanimously approved my bill that orders the PUC to study the benefits of SMRs. This is the same strategy the Legislature used with offshore wind, where we first ordered the State to study the benefits that offshore wind provides (AB 525 – 2021) before we used that study to expand offshore wind development. With the State setting a 2045 carbon-neutrality goal, it’s important we have a transition that doesn’t lead to drastic energy price increases or more electricity shortages, which is what we are currently seeing. As it stands now, we are far too behind in our energy production to meet our lofty climate goals. Nuclear power is a carbon-free energy source that can reduce energy costs for Californians while promoting energy grid stability. SMRs, specifically, provide a number of benefits compared to traditional reactors, including smaller physical footprint, greater deployment flexibility, improved scalability, reduced capital investment requirements, and enhanced safety designs. It’s time for politicians & the public to stop comparing advanced nuclear energy to that of the Chernobyl disaster. This is like saying the pinto was a bad car so we should stop producing any more cars. This source is, without question, necessary for California to achieve our State-mandated goal of 100% zero-carbon electrical generation by 2045 without hurting working families. I look forward to AB 2092 passing the Legislature, being signed by the Governor, and helping us address our growing energy needs while meeting our ambitious carbon-neutrality goals.”
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