After more than a decade, nuclear power generation could be closer than many realize to returning to Kewaunee County.
World Nuclear News reported Thursday that EnergySolutions, the company that owns the Kewaunee Power Station site in the Town of Carlton, has formally confirmed plans to submit an application for a major licensing action for new nuclear generation by June 2028.
EnergySolutions and WEC Energy Group announced last May their intention to determine whether the Kewaunee Power Station, which last operated in 2013, could again be used to generate power. The announcement came three years after EnergySolutions purchased the site from Dominion Energy while it was being decommissioned.
Some early permits required to begin work are currently being evaluated and would be valid for up to 20 years, with an option to renew.
In a statement to World Nuclear News, EnergySolutions President and CEO Ken Robuck called the development an important milestone. “The need for reliable, carbon-free power has never been greater,” Robuck said. “We have assembled an experienced team that brings environmental compliance, nuclear licensing and project management expertise to this project at a time when new nuclear generation in Wisconsin is essential.”
The Kewaunee Power Station is still likely years away from generating nuclear power again. Once applications are approved, experts believe construction would not begin until the 2030s, with the possibility the facility could become operational by 2040.
