Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) signed two bills into law last week designed to further nuclear research and deployment in the state.
Senate Bill 124, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 11, will create a board to advance in-state nuclear power and fusion technology and host a Wisconsin nuclear summit.
Senate Bill 125, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 12, involves a $2 million study to identify the best locations for fusion in Wisconsin.
The two bipartisan bills push Wisconsin towards improving its energy independence and addressing its increasing demand, Evers said in his July 2 press release.
“We must continue our efforts to help lower energy costs and improve energy independence by reducing our reliance [on] out-of-state energy sources, and these bills are an important step in the right direction,” Evers said.
According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), Wisconsin uses six times more energy than it produces.
As Wisconsin pushes for more nuclear energy, the state currently has one operating nuclear plant which is Point Beach, a two-unit plant operated by NextEra Energy Resources. Point Beach, with a 1,200-megawatt capacity, typically supplies around 15% of the state’s net generation yearly, according to EIA.
The state previously had a second operational nuclear plant, Kewaunee Power Station. However, Kewaunee was shut down in 2013 and is undergoing decommissioning by EnergySolutions.
EnergySolutions, in collaboration with WEC Energy Group, recently began exploring new nuclear generation at the Kewaunee site.
Senate Bill 124 was authored by state Republican Senators Julian Bradley, Dan Feyen and Romaine Quinn. Bradley and Feyen also introduced Senate Bill 125 with the addition of state Republican Senator Van Wangaard.
Both bills were introduced on March 14.
