"There have been multiple "spirited conversations" in recent years about the importance of nuclear to New Jersey's climate goals, Izzo said. Legislators created the ZEC program in 2018, and despite some consumer advocate concerns about its cost, the BPU's credit extension last year was unanimous.

'My sense from policy leaders, both elected officials, regulators and key staff members, is we need these plants to run at least until 2050, which is actually beyond the current license," Izzo said during Thursday's earnings call. "And asking ourselves that question every three years ... nobody really has that in them."

There is "a strong desire to expand the duration of the support,' Izzo said. 'There's an equally strong desire to see what happens at the federal level, however, before one acts on that.'"

Consumer advocate concerns about nuclear's cost, as usual, were wrong. In fact, consumers concerns about anything related to nuclear energy are predictably wrong. That has to change. - BM