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Dairyland Power considers bringing nuclear back to former Genoa site. Western Wisconsin utility says new technology, federal incentives could make nuclear power a cost-effective complement to renewable energy October 27, 2026 A western Wisconsin utility is exploring whether to bring nuclear power back to the site of Wisconsin's first nuclear power plant. Dairyland Power Cooperative announced a collaboration with Applied Atomics, a company that builds and operates small modular nuclear reactors. Grover Hettel, Dairyland's executive vice president and chief nuclear officer, said the cooperative is interested in nuclear power as a complement to current solar and wind projects and a potential alternative to the cooperative's existing coal-fired plant. Understanding Wisconsin, together. WPR's "Wisconsin Today" newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter. "We want to make sure we look at a reliable source of power, and if we can do that while also being carbon-free, then that's great," he said. Hettel said the cooperative felt now was the time to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of bringing back nuclear power given the federal grants and low-interest loans that have recently become available. He said the new style of small modular reactors operate at a much smaller scale than the nuclear power plants built in the past. "(Existing plants) are anywhere from around probably 700 megawatts (of power) up to almost 1500 megawatts in some cases," Hettel said. "This is a lot smaller. The one we're looking at would be 100 to 150 megawatts." He said this allows the reactors to be built more cost effectively in a factory, rather than onsite. The new technology is also more efficient when operating, according to Hettel, and has safety features not seen at the old style of plants. Dairyland is evaluating whether the reactors would make sense on the former site of the La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor, Wisconsin's first nuclear energy power plant built in 1967. The 50-megawatt plant was shut down in 1987, but spent nuclear fuel is still housed at the location next to the village of Genoa. The site was also home to a coal-fired power plant that Dairyland retired in 2021 and demolished in 2024. The site's history as a nuclear plant would make the regulatory process a lot smoother, according to Hettel. He said siting a new reactor typically involves lengthy environmental studies and local outreach to ensure a community is on board. But Hettel said Genoa residents already know what it's like to live next to a reactor. "You'll have to go in and probably help reeducate some, but a lot of them already have that education of what a nuclear plant really is and, I'll say, the benefits and of (a plant)," he said. That's the case for Jerry Pedretti, clerk for the village of Genoa. His father helped lay concrete for the original nuclear reactor, and Pedretti said he knew several neighbors who worked at the plant before it was taken offline. He's in favor of Dairyland bringing a nuclear plant back to the site, in part because of the public utility aid the village would receive through the state. "From a strictly financial perspective, there's nothing better for Genoa than to have a plant built back there," he said. Opponents of nuclear power argue it's one of the most expensive forms of energy on a per-unit basis due to the construction of the facilities and the cost of disposing the fuel waste. Point Beach Nuclear Plant near Two Rivers is the only operating nuclear plant in Wisconsin. In January, the owner of the Kewaunee Power Station site announced the company was working to bring new nuclear generation to the site. Wisconsin Public Radio, (C) Copyright 2026, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.

Dairyland Power and Applied Atomics announce collaboration to explore small modular nuclear technology. Oct 22, 2026, 16:00 ET LA CROSSE, Wis., Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Dairyland Power Cooperative and Applied Atomics, Inc., announce the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) to evaluate the potential deployment of Applied Atomics' small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear technology at Dairyland's Genoa (Wis.) Site. Under the LOI, the two parties will work together to explore Applied Atomics' SMR technology in support of Dairyland's evaluation of safe, reliable, cost-competitive and low-carbon energy resources. Applied Atomics' fleet deployment strategy for multi-unit nuclear installations leads with a focus on scalable and carbon-free energy solutions, which help meet increasing demand in the region for dispatchable, low-carbon power generation. The collaboration will analyze the feasibility of locating one or more Applied Atomic SMRs at Dairyland's existing Genoa Site in southwest Wisconsin. Dairyland will explore securing the resulting carbon-free power through a power purchase agreement from Applied Atomics. "Dairyland continues to evaluate emerging technologies that could support a reliable, resilient and lower-carbon energy future for our members and the region," Brent Ridge, Dairyland president and CEO said. "This agreement allows us to take a closer look at Applied Atomics' technology and its potential to better understand how it may complement our evolving generation portfolio." Applied Atomics' scalable SMR power plants are ideally sized to meet the growing needs for firm, affordable power across Dairyland's member cooperatives. Incorporating mature, light-water reactor technology, Applied Atomics' power plants are reliable, passively-safe and supported by a best-in-class U.S. manufacturing partner. Designed for deployment from the outset, Applied Atomics projects minimize exotic fuels and materials, maximizing its ability to work with local trades and support high-paying jobs from groundbreaking through each plant's 60+ year operating life. "We're excited to further evaluate the Genoa site and a long-term partnership with Dairyland and the surrounding communities. The site's power generating history, existing transmission infrastructure and Dairyland's growing energy needs combine to make this one of the top opportunities to deploy clean, affordable nuclear power by the early 2030s," CEO of Applied Atomics Ben Kellie said. Applied Atomics has the exclusive land-based license to use mPower, a pressurized light water reactor designed and manufactured by BWXT. BWXT is actively enabling Applied Atomics' renewed push to commercialize the mPower SMR, providing technical expertise, preserved test infrastructure and deep manufacturing capability built over decades of nuclear engineering leadership. "BWXT engineered mPower with utilities squarely in mind: a proven light water design, integrated safety features and a manufacturing approach that supports predictable, cost competitive deployment," Kate Kelly, president, BWXT Advanced Technologies said. "For utilities like Dairyland evaluating future reliable, carbon free resources, mPower offers the kind of engineering certainty essential for long term planning." Dairyland's Genoa Site previously hosted a now-decommissioned 50 megawatt (MW) nuclear power plant as well as a 345 MW coal plant, which was retired in 2021. An Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI), licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, is currently located at the site. About Dairyland Power Cooperative: Founded in 1941, Dairyland provides the wholesale electrical requirements and other services for 24 Class A member distribution cooperatives, 2 Class B members and 27 municipal utilities in the Upper Midwest. In turn, these cooperatives and municipals meet the energy needs of over 800,000 people. Dairyland delivers electricity over 3,700 miles of transmission lines and 400 distribution substations located throughout the system's 44,500 square mile service area. About Applied Atomics: Applied Atomics builds and operates nuclear power plants for the grid and industrial customers that depend on firm, carbon-free power. Each plant uses light water reactors; the same technology used in the plants that have supplied American baseload electricity for decades. BWX Technologies designed the mPower light water reactor and has licensed it exclusively to Applied Atomics for land-based deployment. Units are modular and each unit produces 100 MWe. Applied Atomics carries each plant from design and licensing through construction and multi-decade operation. Learn more at AppliedAtomics.com. SOURCE Dairyland Power Cooperative