One of the most significant barriers to building more nuclear power plants is the prolonged timeline. The average time to construct a conventional nuclear plant is seven years; however, some plants take significantly longer to come online. Regulations at both federal and state levels slow down the process. Now, Wisconsin is attempting to expedite nuclear construction by streamlining the process of nuclear siting. 

Wisconsin’s Governor Tony Evers signed a bill into law earlier this month to fast-track nuclear siting. The new law requires the Wisconsin Public Service Commission to commission a study into potential sites for new nuclear plants. The locations identified by the study will be pre-approved for future nuclear development. 

“We want to signal that ‘Yes, Wisconsin is ready,’” said Republican State Senator Julian Bradley, one of the policymakers advocating for the bill. “We are net importers for energy, we’ve got to change that. If we want to bring down our rates, if we want to be able to have the generation necessary to power the data centers and the AI and all of the things as technology continues to move forward, then we’ve got to continue to diversify and that means opening up nuclear to another level.”

The siting process is one key reason why building new nuclear plants takes so long. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the process includes a site survey, site selection, and site evaluation. These elements can, together, take several years and a significant amount of money. Pre-approving sites will shave off time from the process and save developers money, making Wisconsin an attractive state for new projects. 

Speeding up nuclear construction is increasingly relevant in our digital age. The data centers used for cloud storage, artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies, and other purposes require massive amounts of power to operate. Nuclear provides a stable source of clean energy to meet this demand. 

Republican State Representative David Steffen, the bill’s lead author, says nuclear is the “fastest way to generate the most amount of power with the least amount of impact on the community.” He’s right—while each form of clean energy has its benefits, nuclear requires far less land than a typical utility-scale wind or solar project. It is a consistent and affordable energy source. 

Wisconsin has cleared the way for more nuclear power development. The state’s residents and businesses, particularly those in the technology industry, will benefit from slashing nuclear red tape.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.