New Tech Nuke Reactors- California Can't Afford to Sit Out Nuclear

If California is serious about reaching its clean energy goals, nuclear power must be part of the solution. While solar and wind are crucial, they alone cannot keep up with the rapidly growing energy needs driven by electrification, artificial intelligence, and data centers. Nuclear energy can fill this gap.

Today’s small modular reactors are far safer and cleaner than older nuclear plants. They feature passive safety systems, require less land, and are built in factories, making them faster and cheaper to deploy. Utah has already shown that this is possible. In February, the U.S. military delivered a five-megawatt Valar Atomics reactor to Hill Air Force Base in Emery County.

The reactor achieved criticality in June and is expected to generate power by July 4. Meanwhile, Holtec International and Hi Tech Solutions plan to build up to ten small modular reactors at a new nuclear campus in Brigham City. These are not just experiments—Utah is providing a real-world example of how a state can go from announcement to operational reactor in months rather than decades.

The benefits extend far beyond electricity. Clean, reliable energy makes large-scale desalination affordable, turning nuclear power into a solution for water security as well as clean energy. As drought and water quality issues grow across the West, pairing reactors with desalination and water treatment could be a game changer.

But here we sit, California still bans construction of new nuclear plants, a policy dating to the 1970s that no longer matches the technology or the moment; the rest of the world kept moving forward. While we debate (and pay double for electricity), Utah and Nevada are building. The jobs, the manufacturing base, the water solutions, and the energy security that come with small modular reactors will land wherever the plants are built.

Think about it - cleaning up environmental hazards and historic screw-ups always requires energy. If California doesn't lift its ban and start permitting now, we won't be leading the clean energy transition. We'll be watching our neighbors lead it for us (and we pay double for electricity).