California Includes Fusion in Energy Policy Reports

Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law AB 1172, which requires the California Energy Commission (CEC) to evaluate various fusion technologies and to analyze the feasibility of using nuclear fusion in the state as part of its 2027 integrated energy policy report (IEPR).

This will require an assessment of the regulatory actions needed to develop and use fusion energy in the state. The bill is aimed at obtaining the $50 million in science and research funding from the United States Department of Energy.

The CEC is required to adopt an IEPR that contains an overview of major energy trends and issues facing the state and presents policy recommendations based on an in-depth and integrated analysis of the most current and pressing energy issues facing the state. This includes an assessment and forecast of system reliability and the need for resource additions, efficiency, and conservation.

The CEC is also required to prepare an energy policy review to update analyses from the IEPR or to raise energy issues that have emerged since the release of the integrated energy policy report.

Nuclear fusion, according to the bill, is a reaction in which at least one heavier, more stable nucleus is produced from at least one lighter, less stable nucleus. This is done typically through high temperatures and pressures, and it emits energy as a result.