Stopping new nuclear in Oregon
By Kelly Campbell, Policy Director
Background: In 1980, Oregon voters strongly approved Measure 7, a moratorium on building nuclear reactors until two conditions were met:
- U.S. has a national nuclear waste repository
- Oregon voters approve a repeal of the moratorium
Forty-five years later, there is still no national nuclear waste repository, which means we have no safe or legal way to dispose of the nuclear waste produced by nuclear reactors. Despite this, there are more than a dozen bills that have been introduced in the 2025 Oregon legislature that could dismantle these critical safeguards.
The Latest: Three pro-nuclear bills will be heard in the Senate Energy and Environment committee on Wednesday, March 5, 3:00 pm. These include:
- SB 215 would repeal Oregon’s moratorium on new nuclear reactors, putting the issue to a vote of the people.
- SB 216 would repeal Oregon’s moratorium on new nuclear reactors without a vote of the people.
- SB 635 Directs Oregon State University to conduct a feasibility study on nuclear energy generation in Oregon.
Two of these 13 pro-nuclear bills had a public hearing on Thursday, February 27, 2025 8:00 a.m. in the House Climate, Energy and Environment committee. We are waiting to hear if these get scheduled for a work session.
- HB 2038 requires the state Department of Energy to study “the advantages” (but not the disadvantages) of nuclear energy
- HB 2410 exempts Umatilla County from the statewide moratorium on building new nuclear
All of the following pro-nuclear bills are a dangerous distraction from the real work of a just transition to clean energy and should be opposed.
- SB 215, HB 2426, SB 216, HB 3548, HB 3565, and SB 994-SB 997 are various attempts to overturn Oregon’s long standing moratorium on nuclear power reactors, even though there is no national nuclear waste repository.
- HB 2410 would exempt Umatilla County from the statewide moratorium.
- HB 2038 would direct the Oregon Department of Energy to study “the advantages” of nuclear power in Oregon. SB 635 would direct Oregon State University to study nuclear power.
- SB 656 would give an income tax credit for energy production–including energy from nuclear power and fossil fuels.
Five Reasons to Keep Oregon Nuclear-Free:
1. Small Modular Nuclear Reactors are an unproven technology. None have been built in the U.S. The only three operating worldwide, two in China and one in Russia, are underperforming.
2. Nuclear power is not clean energy. From uranium mining and milling that decimates Indigenous land to nuclear waste that has no safe, permanent repository, nuclear power is a dirty and outdated technology that has no place in a just transition to a clean energy future.
3. Nuclear power is “the most expensive way to boil water.” Studies show it is at least five times the cost of renewable energy. Building nuclear reactors are notorious for astronomical cost overruns and delays. These costs are typically borne by ratepayers.
4. Baseload is an outdated concept. With new grid and storage technologies, we don’t need “firm” or “baseload” power like coal and nuclear.
5. Tech company hype is a distraction: new small modular nuclear reactors would not come online for at least 10 to 15 years–meanwhile, tech companies’ voracious energy appetite to power their data centers and AI will continue to use dirty fossil fuels and displace renewable energy required for basic needs.
Bottom Line: New nuclear reactors divert funding from energy efficiency, renewable energy, and storage technologies that are safer, less expensive, and faster to deploy. Don’t fall for a false solution. Keep Oregon Nuclear-Free.
