Great Lakes Fusion Energy Summit focuses on Wisconsin’s nuclear fusion future
CBS 58 MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) — Policymakers and researchers aim to make Wisconsin a hub for nuclear fusion energy. At Tuesday’s Great Lakes Fusion Energy Summit, officials met with industry leaders to support research and create a strong development environment.
According to the 5 Lakes Institute, Wisconsin is the center of nuclear fusion research in the country. Lawmakers in Wisconsin want to keep it that way. That is why they met with leaders in the industry to learn more about nuclear fusion and lay the groundwork for the industry to grow.
Governor Tony Evers was in attendance to welcome companies from across the country to the UW-Madison campus, where they toured research projects currently taking place to advance fusion energy.
“We are kind of at this crossroads, especially here in Wisconsin, where we are a net importer of energy, and we would really like to see that go away, and not only not be a net importer of energy anymore,” State Rep. Benjamin Franklin, R-Green Bay, said. “But also, can we produce energy on not just a national, but a global scale.”
Fusion energy does not produce carbon, but the equipment needed to research and produce the energy is expensive. That is why Franklin and State Sen. Dan Feyen worked together on legislation to create tax breaks for that equipment.
“We want all of this to happen right here in the state of Wisconsin, keep our graduates here, start those companies here as well. That is what we really did the bill for. We really want to keep them here, and the sales use tax exemption was one way to do that,” Feyen, R-District 20, said.
The technology is still developing, but professionals at the summit say it could be ready as soon as 2030. It could change how people get energy and the bills they pay.
“The technology is developing, and I think it could be a very promising technology as a way to use alternatives to fuel in a way that is a lot more efficient than what we have now,” said Mark Ehrmann, chair of the 5 Lakes Institute.
More efficiency means a better deal for consumers. That is why Democrats and Republicans at the Capitol agree this is a bipartisan issue.
“This is an area where we can all work together, because we are looking at what is best for our state,” State Sen. Melissa Ratcliff, D-District 16, said.
Evers says Wisconsin has a goal of being 100% carbon free by 2050. He and most at the Capitol feel some form of nuclear energy is how the state gets there.
