BOSTON — Dozens of witnesses asked the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy on July 9 to create a balanced commission to study the potential role of nuclear energy in Massachusetts’ clean‑energy future.

Proponents described the bills — including H3512, H3569, H3571 and S2258 — as study measures, not near‑term construction mandates. David Butz, testifying as an individual and on behalf of an advocacy group, said an objective, expert commission would allow the Commonwealth to weigh nuclear’s potential benefits, including continuous low‑carbon generation and grid reliability.

Len Rodberg, professor emeritus of urban studies and research director at Nuclear New York, said his modeling work shows that dispatchable carbon‑free resources such as nuclear can reduce the overall cost and environmental damage of decarbonization compared with relying solely on variable renewables plus storage. Jim Leiden of the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company said municipal utilities that own interests in Seabrook Station and Millstone Unit 3 could contribute lessons from decades of operation.

Timothy McQuade, who testified as a resident, called for a research‑based approach to evaluate whether nuclear — including small modular reactors — could help meet emissions targets while maintaining affordability and reliability. Witnesses asked for commission membership that includes outside expertise, public representatives and municipal electric utilities.

Opponents at the hearing, including environmental and river advocates testifying on other bills, flagged radioactive waste, long development timelines and moral concerns about leaving hazardous waste for future generations. Committee members heard both perspectives and asked advocates to file written reports and modeling data for review.

No formal committee action was taken at the hearing. Proponents requested the committee report the study bills favorably so Massachusetts can assess whether nuclear should be part of a decarbonization strategy alongside renewables, storage and demand reductions.

Sources: testimony to the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy, July 9, 2025. Quotations and positions derive from David Butz (Econuclear Solutions), Len Rodberg (Nuclear New York), Jim Leiden (Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company) and Timothy McQuade (resident).