Solar and Nuclear: Short-term and Long-term Fixes to Our Energy Problems

By Anthony Birritteri, Editor-in-Chief On Dec 3, 2025

As New Jersey combats an energy affordability crisis that stems from high demand increases and less capacity, four state legislators this morning discussed short-term and long-term solutions to the problem that ranged from building more solar arrays and related battery storage installations to building another nuclear reactor in the state as well as small modular reactors at, for example, power-hungry data centers.

The discussion was part of a Legislative Panel Breakfast hosted by the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce. Moderator Stephanie Branna, chair of the chamber’s Legislative Committee, kicked off the conversation by asking Senator Andrew Zwicker (D-16) if the state can reach 100% clean energy generation and usage by 2035 as stated in the New Jersey Energy Master Plan (EMP).

“The goal is ambitious, but I would argue that we need to set ambitious goals to try and drive us in that [clean energy] direction,” Zwicker said.

The fastest, cheapest, and most reliable way to produce more energy in the next couple of years, he argued, is more solar arrays and battery storage technologies. He said that there are some 70 to 80 solar and battery projects ready to be developed in the state that would put more energy on the grid.

Senator Michael Testa (R-1) said the state didn’t need to be in the position it is in today regarding energy demand and prices. “In South Jersey, for example, 1,100 megawatts of energy were taken offline with the closure of the Oyster Creek nuclear plant and the B.L. England generating station [which burned coal and oil to generate electricity]. We have to admit that mistakes were made [with the closures],” he said.

Testa is not against renewable energy and agreed with Zwicker on the need for more solar arrays and battery storage technology. He added that he was the author of the Next NJ Manufacturing program, in which the first 20% of this $500 million tax credit program is reserved for renewable energy component manufacturing, which includes solar, battery storage, geothermal and small modular reactor (SMR) technologies.

Meanwhile, a bill called the New Jersey Energy Security and Affordability Act was introduced earlier this year, which among other things, would create incentives to generate more than 1.2 gigawatts of new nuclear energy, enough to power more than 1 million homes. Additionally, there is legislation looking to build SMRs.

“When we talk about data center and artificial intelligence (AI) usage, it is important that we figure out the [energy] landscape,” said Assemblywoman Tennille R. McCoy (D-14). “SMRs are cost-effective and scalable. They will allow us to deal with real world issues because we’re not going to stop utilizing AI.”

Zwicker, who is a physicist at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and is working on nuclear fusion at the site, is trying to get a fusion pilot plant built in either New Jersey or Virginia. He says the technology is less dangerous than nuclear fission with little environmental concerns because seawater, rather than enriched uranium, is used as the fuel source. He hopes to see the pilot plant built by 2035.

Summing up the conversation was Assemblyman Michael Inganamort (R-24) who commented, “What you have heard is the unanimous agreement for nuclear to play a role here. There are things that we can’t deny: that data centers are a tremendous energy suck, but they are here to stay; that some of these data centers need to come with their own energy; and that nuclear can and should be a part of that [solution].”

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