Nuclear Energy has the potential to solve California’s demand for clean energy and fund the City of Long Beach’s ambitious goals of Universal Basic Income.
California currently has a goal of getting half its electricity from renewable energies by 2030 and get all its electricity from carbon free sources by 2045. To achieve this, California developed more renewable energy sources, mostly from wind and solar. Unfortunately, California cannot meet its own energy demands and rely on importing a substantial amount of its electricity from other states. From 2013-2017, California was the number 1 importer of electricity, causing electricity prices to rise for its citizen, alongside the occasional rolling blackouts. At its current rate, California is unable to rely 100% from in-state renewable energies. In comes Nuclear.
Nuclear Energy: The Road to Carbon Free Electricity
California has created an unfriendly environment for nuclear energy. Although not categorized as renewable, nuclear power plants contribute the least amount of carbon than other any electricity generating sources. Instead of promoting the efficacy of nuclear, California is set to close down its last nuclear plant, Diablo Canyon Power Plant, in San Luis Obisbo County, which generates over 9% of the states electricity.
Nuclear energy has many advantages over California’s preferred renewable sources. Nuclear can generate a continuous source of reliable energy while solar and wind’s production depend on the sun shining and the winds blowing. The supply of solar energy is at its apex during the afternoon when demand for it is at its lowest. Although improving, the current costs of storing electricity is high, causing California to pay its neighbors to take it’s midday supply of solar energy. The land footprint of nuclear power plants are also significantly lower than wind farms and solar plants which requires a land mass of 360x and 75x more space.
State and Local Opportunity
Private companies and government have shied away from nuclear plants due to the lack of incentives and the cost and the time intensive nature of building a plant. However, this can be an opportunity for state and local government, specifically the city of Long Beach and Los Angeles County.
Long Beach already has experience building man-made islands off its shore with the THUMS Islands, where it is the largest producer of oil and natural gas in the state. Similar islands can be built to house nuclear power plants, and like THUMS, utilize landscaping to mask the sights and sounds of the plant. Remember: Nuclear Power plants requires less land mass than solar or wind.
Many utilities are already publicly owned, so a government investment in nuclear can benefit its residents in two ways, lower electricity cost and paying out Universal Basic Income.
Universal Basic Income
Universal Basic Income (UBI), a non-conditional ongoing payment to its residents have been made popular by former presidential candidate Andrew Yang. Alaska already has a UBI, but is less efficient with diminishing oil reserves, price fluctuation, and the government’s ability to tap into the fund. The country’s demand for electricity continues to rise and Long Beach and Los Angeles County can take advantage of that demand by investing in nuclear energy early and sell the electricity to nearby counties and states. In return, the city shall pay out its profits in the form of a cash payment, capped at a certain amount. Any additional profits can then be spent by the government.
By investing in Nuclear Power, Long Beach and Los Angeles County can solve California’s clean energy crisis and lift people out of poverty.
