Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with regulatory authority over electrical corporations. Existing law prohibits the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission from certifying a nuclear fission thermal powerplant, except for specified powerplants, and provides that a nuclear fission thermal powerplant, except those specified powerplants, is not a permitted land use in California, unless certain conditions are met regarding the existence of technology for the construction and operation of nuclear fuel rod processing plants and of demonstrated technology or means for the disposal of high-level nuclear waste, as specified.

This bill would require the PUC, in collaboration with the Independent System Operator, PUC to conduct a feasibility study on the impact of permitting the building of use of small modular reactors, as defined, for energy generation in the state, including an evaluation including, among other things, an evaluation of the minimum feasible capacity and quantity of small modular reactors necessary to achieve reliability, ratepayer, employment, and decarbonization benefits. benefits of small modular reactors in comparison with other renewable resources used, or planned for use, in the state. The bill would require the PUC to submit a report on the results of the feasibility study to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2027.