NEI praises Wisconsin for lifting 33-year-old ban on new nuclear plants

The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) applauded Wisconsin legislators and Gov. Scott Walker for enacting a bill that repeals the state’s moratorium on building new nuclear plants.

“The nuclear energy industry welcomes Governor Scott Walker’s approval lifting the long-standing moratorium on new nuclear energy in Wisconsin,” NEI Senior Vice President of Governmental Affairs Alex Flint said. “This law also formally amends state policy to list nuclear among a host of conservation, efficiency and non-emitting technologies for state and local decision-makers to consider in meeting new energy demand.”

Assembly Bill 384 will allow the state to construct nuclear facilities for the first time in 33 years. Walker signed the bill late last week at the University of Wisconsin, which is a leader in nuclear engineering.

“The legislation’s strong bipartisan support owes heavily to the broad, diverse coalition of supporters who mobilized in favor of the moratorium repeal,” Flint said. “It brought together Wisconsin’s skilled building and construction trades, the business and manufacturing community and longtime environmental activists who recognize the important role played by the existing nuclear capacity in serving the state’s economic, electricity reliability and clean-air priorities. They were united in urging that nuclear energy should be an available option in meeting future energy demand growth.”