MADISON (NBC 26) — A trio of bills aimed at making Wisconsin a national leader in nuclear energy has passed through the state legislature. The bills now head to Governor Tony Evers' desk for consideration.
The bills—authored by Sen. Julian Bradley (R-New Berlin), Rep. David Steffen (R-Howard), and Rep. Shae Sortwell (R-Two Rivers)—direct Wisconsin to complete a nuclear siting study and find potential communities that would ideally support nuclear power generation, establishes a nuclear power summit, and declares formal support for nuclear development.
Lawmakers say the package had bipartisan backing through the legislature. If the governor signs it, it becomes law.
The Wisconsin Senate approved the legislation in May.
“These bills are about more than energy policy – they’re about Wisconsin’s future,” Bradley said in a news release. “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.”
“This is a bold, strategic move for our state,” Steffen adds. “As energy demands skyrocket – especially with AI and data infrastructure booming – Wisconsin needs solutions that are scalable and reliable. Nuclear provides exactly that.”
The Point Beach Nuclear Plant in Two Rivers is Wisconsin's only operating nuclear power plant. Lawmakers say the plant powers more than one million homes and makes up two-thirds of the state's carbon-free electricity, and 16 percent of the total power used in the state.
In May, NBC 26 reported the company that owns the Kewaunee Power Station plans to bring nuclear power back. The plan is to decommission the current plant and build new, planning for a reopening around the year 2038.
The Kewaunee Power Station shut down in 2013.
