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Wisconsin lawmakers are currently considering a pair of bills aiming to advance nuclear energy initiatives within the state
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These two pieces of legislation were discussed Wednesday during a public hearing before the Wisconsin State Assembly's Committee on Jobs and Economy
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But I think the nuclear renaissance is upon us and I think it's here now and we better be ready for it
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The first bill directs the state's public service commission to conduct a study assessing possible sites for new nuclear reactors across Wisconsin
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This study would be due within 12 months of the legislation's potential passage
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and it will take into consideration a recent Energy Department report, which identified two former coal plant sites as possible locations for future reactors
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Meanwhile, the second bill proposes hosting a one-time nuclear power summit at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's new engineering building
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to be held once the facility is completed. Nuclear power is always available and will be a critical part of our infrastructure
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and these bills are a small step forward in recognizing that reality Also mentioned during the hearing was the prospect of nuclear fusion
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a technology which is still being developed but offers the possibility of limitless energy
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Several startups in Wisconsin are pursuing the creation of fusion reactors. As a professor at UW-Madison noted during the hearing
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the state's existing manufacturing and supply chain industries are possible advantages in building and supporting fusion energy technology
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These nuclear-related bills are being proposed as Wisconsin faces an uptick in electricity demand
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from the state's energy-intensive artificial intelligence-supporting data centers. The state of Wisconsin imports six times more energy than it produces
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and with the prospect of data centers coming to Wisconsin, the need for power generation only is going to increase
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Both bills are still awaiting a vote by the committee before they can potentially move on through the legislative process
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For Straight Arrow News, I'm Kaylee Carey
