Artificial intelligence (AI) is turning heads in California, but not for its brainpower. As the tech-savvy crowd raves about AI’s potential, it’s also inconveniently gulping electricity like a frat boy at a beer keg. Each ChatGPT query is reportedly akin to running a lightbulb for 20 minutes, yikes! With California committed to going carbon-neutral by 2045, this tech binge could throw a wrench in our eco-friendly goals.

Suddenly, state politicians are mulling the unthinkable: could nuclear power make a grand comeback? Yep, pushing the nuclear power umbrella just might be the new hot take among agrarian advocates and tech lobbyists alike. Some lawmakers are looking to yank at that 49-year-old statewide moratorium on constructing new nuclear plants, remember those? Yeah, they’re making a comeback faster than fanny packs!

Take Diablo Canyon, for instance. It’s the last operating nuclear power plant in the state, and there are whispers it might extend its stay past the current planned closures in 2029 and 2030. Tech giants are feeling the heat from their own energy needs and are lobbying for nuclear to revive its glory days. Weirdly enough, it’s still viewed as politically toxic, yet a few brave souls in caps and ties are willing to take a chance on it.

Federal laws now support nuclear development, and states like Illinois are cheering. Even California legislators, who were once set on saying “hell no” to nuclear, are now softening. New Democratic leaders, like Sen. Scott Wiener, express a gradual acceptance, kind of like when you finally agree to an ex’s dating app request after months of blocking them.

But let’s not pop the champagne just yet. Energy experts caution that while nuclear might seem the answer to AI’s energy needs, the realities are as sticky as a half-eaten doughnut. Building reactors isn’t just plugging in a new app, there’s regulatory red tape, hefty price tags, and the dirty business of radioactive waste disposal. Sounds fun, right?

So, while California tech companies hustle to balance their energy hog tendencies with sustainability dreams, the question looms: will we bet big on the '80s throwback of nuclear energy or will we innovate our way out with something truly new and safe? Stay tuned, because this energy duel is just heating up!