The grandson of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, spoke out in support of a California bill to study nuclear energy development. Charles Oppenheimer testified before the state Senate Energy and Utilities Committee, saying that nuclear energy is necessary to reach the state’s goal of 100% zero-carbon and renewable energy by 2045.

Nuclear Energy Development

Assembly Bill 2647, authored by Assemblymember Lisa Calderon, would require the California Energy Commission to study nuclear energy development. The bill passed the Senate committee with a 15-2 vote and is now heading to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Charles Oppenheimer, founder of The Oppenheimer Project, believes that nuclear energy is the only path to total decarbonization. He said, “We need 100% decarbonization by 2045, and not using nuclear energy is kind of an older bias. We really need to re-examine that.”

Some have expressed concerns about the safety of nuclear energy, including Haakon Williams, executive director of the anti-nuclear nonprofit Committee to Bridge the Gap. Williams testified in opposition to the bill, saying that the study should be done more thoroughly and consider the potential impacts on water use, emergency planning, the environment, and the California economy.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.