Will CA revisit nuclear power for AI?

Artificial intelligence may be at the forefront of a pioneering new chapter in tech, and California AI companies are major contributors to the state’s economy. But the technology requires a lot of energy, which has led some state lawmakers to consider a potential, albeit controversial, solution: nuclear power.

As CalMatters’ Alex Shultz explains, AI technology is incredibly energy-intensive. One ChatGPT query about the best way to cook chicken or how to write a cover letter could use up the same amount of energy as lighting a lightbulb for 20 minutes, reports NPR. As such, tech companies rely on sprawling data centers — some of which emit methane gas — and require huge amounts of water and electricity. California is home to more than 280 data centers.

Some tech giants have already signaled their interest in nuclear energy: In October, Google said it agreed to purchase small modular reactors (an allegedly safer form of nuclear power) from California-based Kairos Power. Months later, Meta said it was seeking proposals from nuclear energy developers who could help with “AI innovation and sustainability objectives.”

California has had a nearly 50-year moratorium on constructing new nuclear power plants. But amid the state’s goal to go carbon neutral by 2045, some legislators have been trying to change that. Last year, a Republican-backed bill sought to direct state regulators to conduct feasibility studies about the possible benefits of small modular reactors; and in 2022, a bipartisan measure would have created a moratorium exemption for small modular reactors. 

Both proposals failed but Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, a Fresno Democrat who co-authored the 2022 measure, said he hopes to introduce a similar measure this session. 

But the road to develop nuclear power in California would be a challenging one: 

• Even if the moratorium lifts, nuclear reactors are expensive to build and maintain; 
• Disposing radioactive waste is laborious and can potentially harm the environment; 
• And there are other disaster concerns, such as a meltdown or cyber attack.

Read more here.

The Donald Trump administration on Wednesday rescinded a memo issued on Monday intended to go into effect Tuesday that would have temporarily frozen federal aid and left state officials scrambling to decipher the scope of the order. 

The Monday memo from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget directed federal agencies to suspend financial loans and grants that could be “implicated” by any of the president’s prior executive orders, including assistance for “foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal.” 

That sparked multiple lawsuits — including one from California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 21 other state attorneys general — and an injunction from a federal judge. 

• Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary: “In light of the injunction, OMB has rescinded the memo to end any confusion on federal policy created by the court ruling and the dishonest media coverage.”

The communication from the White House Wednesday created a great deal of confusion: The memo rescinding the previous memo came from the budget office, which is part of the White House, and Leavitt — also part of the White House — said on social media that a funding freeze remained in effect. 

However, a federal funding freeze is not Schrödinger’s Cat and cannot simultaneously exist and not exist. 

Further clarification from the White House press office made clear that the Monday memo — and therefore the federal funding freeze — has been rescinded and the White House will “focus on enforcing the President’s orders on controlling federal spending” by other means. 

How will Trump’s second presidency affect your corner of California? CalMatters is working with public radio partners to gather perspectives across the state. Share your thoughts here.

Speaking of walking back plans, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power quashed its initial intention to draw less water from Mono Lake — disappointing environmentalists who have pushed for the lake’s restoration for decades, writes CalMatters’ Alastair Bland.

Every year, L.A. can legally take up to 16,000 acre-feet of water from the lake’s tributaries — roughly enough to serve 5% of the city’s population. Due to an abundant snowmelt last summer, Mono Lake — the salty, alpine lake nestled in the Eastern Sierra that has provided L.A. water since 1941 — was at its highest level in 17 years. This prompted the water department to signal it might take less than a third of what it’s allowed to over the next 12 months. 

Environmentalists celebrated the move, and saw it as a meaningful step toward protecting the lake and its animal inhabitants. 

But L.A.’s rainless fall and unusually dry winter led to the city drawing more than the third it voluntarily limited itself to by November. At this pace, the city is on track to reach its full allotment by the end of March.

Read more here.

With insurers canceling policies in high-risk wildfire areas, more Californians are turning to the state’s insurer of last resort. CalMatters economy reporter Levi Sumagaysay and video strategy director Robert Meeks have a video segment about the concerns surrounding the FAIR Plan’s affordability as part of our partnership with PBS SoCal. Watch it here.

And check out another video, by CalMatters homelessness reporter Marisa Kendall and Robert, about major cities adopting busing programs as part of their strategy to reduce homelessness. Watch it here.

SoCalMatters airs at 5:58 p.m. weekdays on PBS SoCal.