(The Center Square) – A pair of Wisconsin bills that would require the state to identify viable locations for nuclear energy facilities and hold a nuclear power summit in Madison have been sent to Gov. Tony Evers.
Assembly Bill 132 would establish a temporary board to plan and hold a Wisconsin Nuclear Power Summit, which would aim to promote Wisconsin as a leader in the nuclear and fusion energy sector.
Senate Bill 125 would direct the state to complete a nuclear siting study for identifying potential communities ideal for nuclear power generation, including both existing and new sites.
“These bills are about more than energy policy – they’re about Wisconsin’s future,” co-author Sen. Julian Bradley, R-New Berlin, said in a statement. “Nuclear energy is clean, safe, and reliable, and it must be part of the equation if we want to power our economy for the long haul.”
The Wisconsin Public Service Commission estimated at least $1 million in supplies and services budget authority would be needed to conduct the nuclear siting study, while the Nuclear Power Summit’s would have an estimated cost of $250,000 to host in Madison.
A report by Badger Institute indicated that while nuclear provides 16% of all electricity-generated energy in Wisconsin, down from 24% in 1990, nuclear power is the most reliable source of electricity, producing about 96% of a plant’s rated output.
This makes nuclear more reliable and efficient than other sources of energy used in Wisconsin like natural gas, hydroelectric, coal, wind and solar. Additionally, an operating nuclear power plant emits no pollution or carbon dioxide, according to the report.
“This is a bold, strategic move for our state,” co-author Rep. David Steffen, R-Howard, said in a statement. “As energy demands skyrocket – especially with AI and data infrastructure booming – Wisconsin needs solutions that are scalable and reliable. Nuclear provides exactly that.”
Steffen said Wisconsin already benefits from nuclear power, with Point Beach Nuclear Plant in Two Rivers supplying over a million homes and two-thirds of the state’s carbon-free electricity.
The passage of his bills signals that Wisconsin is serious about expanding the role of nuclear energy in the state, according to Steffen.
However, Rep. Moore Omokunde, D-Milwaukee, opposed SB 125 because he said the legislation left Wisconsin residents “out of the conversation.”
“[The bill] moves too quickly without having everyone on the same page first,” Omokunde said in a statement. “Because if you went door to door in your district today, I can almost guarantee that NO ONE is going to want a nuclear plant sited in their backyard – for health concerns, property value concerns, etc.”
Omokunde concluded that passing legislation for nuclear energy without talking to constituents about it first would be “putting the cart before the horse.”
However, a June 2024 University of Michigan poll shows 54% of Wisconsin residents have a positive attitude towards nuclear, matching the national average in that same study.
Additionally, the bills also passed both chambers of the State Legislature with bipartisan support.
While Evers has not publicly said whether he would sign the bills, he had previously recommended allocation $1 million for a nuclear siting study in his proposed 2025-27 state budget, as indicated in a Department of Administration budget summary.
