Rave for Nuclear Energy

California is ready to fulfill it's atomic destiny. Let’s make sure we do it right.

On April 20, my friends and I are throwing a rave in San Francisco.

Two stages. Twelve DJs. A glowing reactor on stage. Custom drinks. And an open invitation to anyone who’s ready to wrestle with the future. We’re calling it Rave for Nuclear Energy.

In 1976, California banned new nuclear construction until we figured out how to manage the fuel. That law has been frozen in place for nearly 50 years, waiting for legislators to recognize that the conditions to lift the moratorium have been met.

We now know how to store nuclear fuel safely in steel and concrete canisters. We can transport it with precision and reliability. And we’ve developed the technology to recycle spent fuel into new fuel, extending our supply of isotopic uranium.

A new bill, AB 305, is now moving through the California legislature to finally lift the moratorium. It’s a wonderful moment in our state’s pursuit of affordable, reliable clean energy. Yet the language of the bill has a flaw that limits our ability to succeed.

It imposes an arbitrary 300 megawatt cap on new nuclear projects. That might sound technical, but it’s a design constraint that matters. It tilts the playing field away from large light water reactors, like the one at Diablo Canyon, which has been the most cost-effective clean energy source in the state. If we want nuclear to compete with fossil fuels on real industrial terms, we need all technologies at the table.

We’ve seen what happens when this type of cap is imposed. In 2023, Illinois lifted their own moratorium on new nuclear construction, but only for reactors under 300 megawatts. Since then, no projects have moved forward under that framework. The cap created uncertainty and deterred serious investment. Legislators in Illinois are now rewriting the law to remove the cap entirely and allow all reactor sizes. California would do well to learn from that. If we want to decarbonize with urgency, we cannot afford to blunt our sharpest tools.

I’ve spent my life walking between worlds. I’ve studied oil refineries and rooftop solar arrays. I’ve developed spiritual practices and consulted utility executives. I’ve seen ecology and infrastructure coexisting in countries around the world. This rave is my way of reconciling those truths.

I believe we can decouple human impact from environmental destruction. I believe in a global cooperative framework rooted in science, technology, and trust. And I believe the climate movement is evolving to become more industrial, more honest, more aligned with the needs of working people.

This Rave grapples with a misunderstood technology. Nuclear energy is heavy, symbolic, emotional. That’s exactly why we need to bring it into a space imbued with lights, music, and human connection.

Hope to see you there, to rave against the dying of the light.

Ryan

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Rave for Nuclear Energy

April 20 | 6–10pm

715 Harrison St, San Francisco

18+ | Student discounts | QR code posters on campuses all over the Bay