SACRAMENTO, Calif. — April 22, 2026 — Guido Núñez-Mujica, Director of Data Science and Senior Policy Advisor at the Anthropocene Institute, delivered testimony before California lawmakers this week in support of AB 2647, urging the state to fully evaluate the role of advanced nuclear energy in achieving its climate and energy goals.

California has set some of the most ambitious climate targets in the world. Under SB 100, the state is required to achieve 100% clean electricity by 2045. But ambition alone does not generate power—and today, California faces a widening gap between its goals and its grid reality.

Electricity prices in California are among the highest in the United States. At the same time, the state imports roughly a third of its electricity from neighboring states. As demand rises—from transportation, heating, and industry to data centers and AI—this reliance becomes increasingly precarious.

California needs more clean electricity. So does everyone else.

Renewable energy sources like solar and wind are essential and should continue to expand. But they are intermittent by nature. Batteries, while improving, are not yet able to scale to the magnitude required to store and dispatch electricity across long durations and seasonal gaps. A reliable, affordable, and deeply decarbonized grid requires firm, low-carbon power sources that can operate when renewables cannot.

This is where nuclear energy plays a critical role.

Around the world, countries are reassessing their approach to nuclear power. Nations including Taiwan, Italy, Belgium, Japan, and Sweden are reconsidering or expanding their nuclear fleets. In the United States, states such as Illinois, Connecticut, Colorado, New Jersey, and New York have taken steps to preserve or enable nuclear generation. These decisions reflect a growing recognition: achieving deep decarbonization without nuclear power is significantly more difficult—and more expensive.

The benefits of nuclear energy are not theoretical. Around the world the data show that when nuclear power plants are connected to the grid, the results are measurable and immediate. Carbon emissions decline rapidly. Electricity prices stabilize, providing predictability for both households and industry. And the grid becomes more resilient, maintaining supply even when solar and wind output drops.

Nuclear power also delivers long-term economic value. It creates stable, well-paid, unionized jobs that can last for generations and will remain local, while supporting the broader energy ecosystem.

AB 2647 offers California a pragmatic step forward. The bill does not alter the state’s climate goals. Instead, it ensures that policymakers fully evaluate the role that advanced nuclear technologies could play in achieving them.

For communities already burdened by high energy costs and the unintended consequences of past policies, expanding the range of viable clean energy solutions is not just a technical question—it is an economic and social necessity.

California has led before. It can lead again: if instead of limiting its options it explores all of them with an open mind and respect for evidence.