New Jersey becomes second state this year to lift its nuclear moratorium New Jersey has become the sixth state in the last decade, and the second this year, to fully repeal its moratorium on building new nuclear power stations. Governor Mikie Sherrill signed legislation ending an outdated radioactive-waste-disposal law that had blocked new projects. The Democrat, who campaigned last year on expanding nuclear power in the state, called the prohibitions obsolete. The law, enacted in the 1970s, required new projects to point to a method of radioactive waste disposal that did not exist at the time. It tied construction permits to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission establishing disposal methods, a condition Sherrill described as an "outdated standard that cannot be met." The legislation now allows projects to use safe, cutting-edge storage methods, which have been used thousands of times in over 35 states for the last 40 years with a 100% safety record. The Hope Creek Generating Station, located along the Delaware River in New Jersey, and the Salem Nuclear Power Plant, both owned by PSEG, are central to this shift. Combined, these facilities produce 40% of New Jersey’s electricity and 80% of its carbon-free power. The state’s moratorium, one of the nation’s earliest, was enacted when the U.S. was expanding its reactor fleet without a plan for radioactive waste. At the time, lawmakers amended the Coastal Area Facility Review Act to require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to establish disposal methods before new construction could proceed. Federal efforts to address nuclear waste have been stalled since the 1980s, when Yucca Mountain in Nevada was designated as the first permanent repository. Work began in the 2000s under President George W.#new_jersey #salem_nuclear_power_plant #governor_mikie_sherrill #hope_creek_generating_station #pseg
New Jersey Lifts 40-Year Moratorium on New Nuclear Power Plants New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill signed legislation on Wednesday to end the state’s 40-year de-facto moratorium on new nuclear power plants, citing the urgent need to address rising electricity costs and the growing gap between energy supply and demand. The measure, which passed the General Assembly on March 23 with a large majority, amends the Coastal Area Facility and Review Act, a law that previously barred the state’s Department of Environmental Protection from issuing permits for nuclear facilities unless the federal government established a permanent nuclear waste disposal site. Sherrill emphasized that the decision was driven by the need to reduce energy costs for consumers, stating, “For costs to come down, we need more energy supply.” She argued that the outdated permit requirements, which had prevented new nuclear projects, were no longer viable. The legislation now allows permits for new reactors based on “safe, [Nuclear Regulatory Commission] compliant waste storage” with a “100 percent effective safety record in the U.S.” The bill’s sponsor, Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo, highlighted the potential of nuclear energy as a stable, carbon-neutral power source. “I am excited that we are moving closer to building more nuclear generation in our State because it has proven to be a stable and reliable carbon neutral energy source that will help us bridge the gap between what we generate and use,” he said. The move follows a broader push by Sherrill to tackle energy costs, including a state of emergency declaration on energy prices and the creation of a 14-member task force focused on energy financing, supply chains, workforce development, and regulatory frameworks.#new_jersey #mikie_sherrill #wayne_deangelo #salem_nuclear_power_plant #hope_creek
