Plans for Kewaunee County power station site announced

KEWAUNEE COUNTY, Wis. (WBAY) — A major announcement on Tuesday regarding the future of the Kewaunee Power Station, with its owner, Utah-based EnergySolutions, is exploring the possibility of giving the site new life.

It was more than a decade ago that the former owner, Dominion Energy, decided to close down the facility.

The company says it will begin initial planning and scoping activities to support the pursuit of an early site permit from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

It’s a very preliminary step, but a positive sign according to county and state officials.

The site for the Kewaunee County Power Station hasn’t produced energy since being closed by former owner Dominion Energy in 2013.

But now, its current owner, EnergySolutions, is hoping to explore that potential.

State Senator Andre Jacque says it’s a positive sign.

“I think that this is a very positive step forward for our region, for a clean, reliable base of power, that frankly I think the community is going to be very welcoming of. This is something that is clearly an appropriate use in that area,” Senator Jacque said.

In a statement, Ken Robuck, President and CEO of EnergySolutions, said:

“With rising energy demand driven by data centers, artificial intelligence, and industrial growth, the need for reliable, carbon-free power has never been greater.”

EnergySolutions, in its announcement Tuesday, also said it will partner with WEC Energy to explore new nuclear power generation in the state.

The company purchased the site in May 2022 with plans to accelerate and complete the shuttered plant’s decommissioning.

“This is an exciting announcement. We’re very happy for the preliminary planning process to start and excited to see what new development I think the Kewaunee County Power Station site could mean,” Jeremy Kral, Kewaunee County Administrator, said.

“To my knowledge, they are evaluating the site for some type of nuclear energy project, or nuclear energy project potential. They have never discussed solar or wind as something they are evaluating,” Ben Nelson, Executive Director, Kewaunee Co. Development Corp.

The process to determine whether reopening the Kewaunee County Power site is viable could take years, and even after, the company will still need approval from the proper regulatory oversight agencies.

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