Gov. signed two bills to accelerate the development of fusion energy in California and to assess the potential for new nuclear power plants, and announced a new $30 million investment to further quantum and deep‑space research, the governor’s office said. He made the announcement at a quantum lab at UC Berkeley.
The bills are SB 925 by Sen. (D‑Pleasanton), on a fusion energy strategic plan and certification and environmental review by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, and AB 2647 by Assemblymember (D‑Whittier), which calls for a comprehensive assessment, with public input, of the potential for new nuclear power plants that could help the state achieve 100% zero‑carbon electricity by 2045 and the potential role of advanced nuclear technologies, the governor’s office said.
“SB 925 lays the groundwork for widespread adoption of fusion energy in the state and will help ensure that California is a fusion technology leader in the coming decades,” McNerney said. Calderon said, “AB 2647 gives us the information to make a new choice, based on the technologies and needs of our century.”
The governor’s office said the $30 million budget allocation will further quantum and deep‑space research, leverage public‑private partnerships and cultivate a quantum start‑up ecosystem. It follows legislation Newsom signed in 2025 launching Quantum California, a statewide initiative bringing together universities, national laboratories, private companies, investors and policymakers.
The release noted California hosts major fusion facilities, including the DIII‑D National Fusion Facility in San Diego and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility, where researchers achieved the first laboratory fusion ignition in December 2022. The release said the state also runs programs and grants to build the quantum and fusion workforce, including the Quantum FAST Challenge and Workforce Accelerator Fund.
State
Gavin Newsom
Governor · Democrat
Named 3 times in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
State
Jerry McNerney
State Senator · Democrat
Named 2 times in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
State
Lisa Calderon
State Assembly Member · Democrat
Named 2 times in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
Sources & methodology
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