Committee to Bridge the Gap Welcomes Defeat of AB 2647, Upholds California’s Nuclear Moratorium
Today, Committee to Bridge the Gap (CBG) applauded the failure of AB 2647, the latest legislative attempt to overturn California’s longstanding moratorium on new nuclear power plant construction. The bill was amended shortly before its hearing in the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources, removing provisions that would lift the moratorium and instead calling for a state study.
“California’s nuclear moratorium has always been contingent on finding a safe disposal method for long-lived radioactive waste,” said Haakon Williams, Executive Director of CBG. “Fifty years have passed since this condition was established, and we remain no closer to a responsible solution for spent nuclear fuel, which remains hazardous for hundreds of thousands of years.”
CBG’s opposition to AB 2647 was shared by Sierra Club California, Union of Concerned Scientists, and other environmental and public interest groups. This year marks the 50th anniversary of California’s Nuclear Safeguards Act, which prohibits new nuclear reactors until the federal government develops a viable method for disposing of high-level nuclear waste. The moratorium was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1983, affirming the state’s legal position.
Despite ongoing legislative efforts to repeal the moratorium, communities near California’s former and existing nuclear sites—such as San Onofre and Humboldt Bay—continue to face challenges posed by on-site storage of radioactive waste with no permanent disposal plan.
At the federal level, nuclear safety oversight is facing significant rollbacks. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is undergoing a comprehensive revision of its regulations amid leadership directives aimed at expediting approvals. Hundreds of NRC staff have departed, and California Attorney General Rob Bonta is part of a multi-state coalition opposing proposed rules that would exempt nuclear reactors from environmental review.
Williams added, “In the midst of the most severe erosion of nuclear safety regulations in U.S. history, it is reckless to consider lifting California’s moratorium. Nuclear safety cannot be compromised.”
Heightened global conflicts underscore the security risks of nuclear facilities. Recent events in Ukraine and Iran have demonstrated that nuclear plants and waste storage sites are vulnerable to military attacks. Reports of potential threats to the U.S. West Coast amplify concerns about the safety of California’s nuclear infrastructure.
From an economic standpoint, nuclear power presents a poor investment. The Vogtle plant in Georgia, the most recent U.S. nuclear construction project, cost
