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Bill > S626


NJ S626

NJ S626
Establishes Nuclear Power Advisory Commission.


summary

Introduced
01/13/2026
In Committee
01/13/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

2026-2027 Regular Session

Bill Summary

This bill would establish the Nuclear Power Advisory Commission (commission), charged with conducting a study and preparing a report on the role that nuclear energy power plants, including small-scale nuclear energy power plants, should play in the State's energy future. The commission would consist of nine members, including the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, the President of the Board of Public Utilities, and the President of the New Jersey Utilities Association, or their designees, and six members of the public appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. In carrying out its responsibilities, the commission would be required to consider: (1) the role nuclear energy generation plays in the State's energy portfolio, including the value of nuclear energy generation as a reliable, zero-emission source of energy and the value of nuclear energy generation in meeting the goals of the "Global Warming Response Act," P.L.2007, c.112 (C.26:2C-37 et seq.), including the goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050; (2) the impact the closure of existing, licensed, and operating nuclear energy power plants within and outside the State would have on the reliability of the energy grid, the State's air quality, and the price of electricity; (3) emerging technologies in reactor designs and the viability of small-scale nuclear energy power plants; and (4) actions by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other states concerning nuclear energy generation. The commission would expire 30 days after the submittal of the report required by the bill.

AI Summary

This bill establishes a Nuclear Power Advisory Commission, a nine-member body tasked with studying and reporting on the future role of nuclear energy in the state's energy supply, including considerations for small-scale nuclear power plants. The commission will be composed of the Commissioners of Environmental Protection and the President of the Board of Public Utilities (or their designees), the President of the New Jersey Utilities Association (or their designee), and six public members appointed by the Governor with Senate approval, representing various sectors like nuclear power, academia, environmental organizations, business, and labor. In its study, the commission must evaluate nuclear energy's contribution to the state's energy portfolio, its value as a reliable, zero-emission source, its role in meeting greenhouse gas reduction goals set by the "Global Warming Response Act" (which aims for an 80 percent reduction in emissions by 2050), the potential impacts of nuclear plant closures on grid reliability, air quality, and electricity prices, advancements in reactor technology and the feasibility of smaller plants, and relevant actions by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other states. The commission will cease to exist 30 days after submitting its report, which is due within 18 months of the bill's effective date.

Committee Categories

Agriculture and Natural Resources

Sponsors (3)

Last Action

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Environment and Energy Committee (on 01/13/2026)

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