Will California Revive Nuclear Energy for AI?

The artificial intelligence can be at the forefront of a new new chapter in Tech, and California AI companies are Main participants in the country’s economyS But technology requires many of energy that caused some state legislators to view a Potential, though controversial, decision: nuclear energyS

Calm Alex Schultz He explains that AI technology is incredibly energy. A chat request for the best way to cook chicken or how to write a cover letter can use the same amount of energy as lighting a bulb in 20 minutes, NPR reportsS As such, technology companies rely on scattered data centers – some of which emit Methane gas – and require huge amounts of water and electricityS California is home to More than 280 Data CentersS

Some technological giants have already signaled their interest in nuclear energy: in October, Google He said he agreed to buy small modular reactors (a safer form of nuclear energy) from California-based Kairos Power. Months later, Meta He said he was looking for suggestions from nuclear energy developers that could help with “AI innovation and resistance goals.”

California has nearly 50-year-old moratorium for the construction of new nuclear power plants. But against the background of the country’s goal to pass carbon by 2045, some legislators are trying to change this. Last year, supported by Republicans a bill that seeks to direct State regulators to conduct feasibility studies for the possible benefits of small modular reactors; and in 2022 a bilateral measure would create a The exception of the moratorium For small modular reactors.

Both suggestions failed, but retract Joaquin ArambulaDemocrat from Freen, who co -authored the measure in 2022, said he hoped to introduce such a measure this session.

But the path to the development of nuclear energy in California would be challenging:

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

Read more hereS

Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday canceled a note issued on Monday temporarily frozen federal aid And they left civil servants to collide to decipher the scope of the order.

The Monday Memorandum from the US Management and Budget Office directed federal agencies to stop financial loans and grants that could be “involved” by any of the president’s previous enforcement orders, including assistance to “foreign assistance, non -governmental organizations, DEI , woke the gender ideology and the green new deal. ”

This provoked numerous court cases – including one of the California General Prosecutor Rob Bont Bont and 21 other chief state lawyers – and an order from a federal judge.

• Carolyn LevitThe White House Secretary: “In the light of the order, Omb canceled the note in order to end any confusion regarding the federal policy created by the court’s decision and the dishonest reflection in the media.”

White House communication on Wednesday created a lot of confusion: the note to cancel the previous note came from the budget office, which is part of the White House, and Levit – also part of the White House – said in social media that the freezing of funding remains in force.

However, the federal freezing of funding is not Schrodinger’s cat And it cannot exist at the same time and not exist.

A more explanation from the White House press center has made it clear that the note on Monday – and therefore the freezing of federal funding – has been canceled and the White House will “focus on executing President’s orders for the Federal Cost control” in another way S

How will Trump Presidency affect your California corner? Calmatters works with Public Radio Partners to gather perspectives throughout the country. Share your thoughts hereS

Speaking of Plans to Back, the Ministry of Water and Power in Los Angeles canceled his original intention to draw a less water than Lake Mono – disappointing environmentalists who have pushed for the restoration of the lake for decades, writes Calmatters’ Alastair BlandS

Each year, LA can legally take up to 16,000 acres of ft water from the tributaries of the lake-clockingly enough to serve 5% of the city’s population. Due to the abundant snowfall last summer, Lake Mono – Salt, Alpine Lake nestled in the eastern part of Sierra, which provided La Water from 1941 – it was at its highest level of 17 years. This prompted the water department to signal that it could take less than one -third of what was allowed in the next 12 months.

Environmentalists celebrated this move and saw it as a meaningful step towards protecting the lake and its animal residents.

But No rainy fall on LA and an unusually dry winter It has led to the fact that the city painted more than the third, to which it voluntarily limited itself to November. With this pace, the city is about to reach its full distribution by the end of March.

Read more hereS