Bill > SB635

This bill directs Oregon State University (OSU) to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study on developing nuclear energy generation in Oregon. The study must thoroughly examine multiple aspects of potential nuclear energy development, including economic and environmental impacts, workforce utilization, facility design characteristics, safety criteria, and potential technological integration with other clean energy technologies like hydrogen and carbon dioxide capture. Specifically, the study requires OSU to evaluate advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy, analyze potential local and state economic benefits such as job creation and tax base implications, review existing literature on nuclear energy's role in energy transitions, and examine international and national case studies of nuclear energy development. The university is required to include stakeholder input and submit a detailed report to legislative energy committees by December 15, 2026. The bill also contains an emergency clause, meaning it would take effect immediately upon passage in 2025, underscoring the perceived urgency of understanding nuclear energy's potential role in Oregon's energy future.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Measures/Overview/SB635