California Clean Energy Push
California Enacts New Legislation to Advance Fusion Energy and Boost Quantum Research
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation to develop a statewide strategy for commercializing fusion energy, expanding research and manufacturing, and assessing advanced nuclear technologies for grid reliability. He also announced a $30 million investment in quantum and deep-space research, aimed at strengthening university research hubs, public-private partnerships, and the state’s quantum startup ecosystem. Separately, a law he signed will put a $7.5 billion California Science and Health Research Bond Act before voters in March 2028; if approved, it would fund research and facilities in areas including health, climate, wildfire resilience, and emerging technologies. Together, the measures are intended to bolster California’s research capacity and its role in emerging technology and clean energy.
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The fusion and advanced-nuclear measures are Senate Bill 925, by Sen. Jerry McNerney, and Assembly Bill 2647, by Assemblymember Lisa Calderon. SB 925 directs the California Energy Commission to develop commercialization and manufacturing plans, certification protocols and environmental-review frameworks; AB 2647 requires an assessment of advanced nuclear technologies’ potential role in grid reliability.
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The research bond legislation, SB 895, would also create the California Foundation for Science and Health Research, which could support research and development through grants, loans and contracts.
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A UCLA Quantum Innovation Hub at UCLA Research Park has Boeing as an industry partner. Its work includes quantum networking over optical fiber and an on-site testbed for studying how quantum entanglement could be distributed across multiple network nodes.
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UC President James B. Milliken described the bond measure as a response to threats to research funding, saying it would help keep critical work moving in biomedical research, wildfire resilience, climate and environmental science, and emerging technologies.
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