CASEnergy Coalition

Nuclear Energy in Wisconsin

Energy Overview

Nuclear energy is a vital part of America’s energy portfolio. Nuclear energy already provides 20 percent of the country’s electricity, and Wisconsin’s Kewaunee and dual-unit Point Beach systems generate nearly 21 percent of the state’s electricity.

Demand for energy is expected to grow in Wisconsin and across the United States. In fact, the state has experienced an average growth in gross state product of 1.7 percent per year over the past five years, while our country’s electricity needs are forecast to increase about 25 percent by 2035. In order to meet future electricity demands, the United States will need to embrace a broad portfolio of American-produced energy solutions, and nuclear energy must be a part of that mix.

Nuclear energy is a cost-effective and reliable energy source, producing affordable, on-demand electricity at 91 percent efficiency. Nuclear energy also supports clean air, land, water and wildlife, providing the majority of our nation’s emission-free energy. Safely serving as a workhorse of the country’s electric grid for more than four decades, nuclear energy is essential to our everyday lives.

Providing Clean Electricity to Wisconsin

Emission-free sources like nuclear energy can help meet the growing electricity needs of both Wisconsin and the United States without polluting the air. Nuclear energy has perhaps the lowest impact on the environment of any other energy source and is one of the nation’s largest sources of electricity that produces virtually no greenhouse gases. Nuclear energy provides more than 70 percent of the country’s emission-free electricity, helping to keep our air clean.

In Wisconsin, counties in the Milwaukee and Sheboygan areas have been designated as areas of “non-attainment” by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This means that pollution levels persistently exceed national ambient air quality standards.

The Kewaunee and Point Beach nuclear energy facilities supply 84 percent of California’s emission-free power. In 2010 alone, the Diablo Canyon and San Onofre facilities improved air quality by avoiding the emission of:

• 37,000 tons of SO₂
• 1,400 tons of NO_x (equal to the amount of NO_x released by 700,000 passenger cars annually)
• 12.9 million metric tons of CO₂

Moving forward with the next generation of new nuclear energy facilities will ensure economic prosperity and the continued development of sustainable energy in Wisconsin and across the U.S.

Creating American Jobs and Stimulating the U.S. Economy

American-produced energy sources like nuclear power boost economic growth and support high-paying jobs that cannot be shipped overseas. On average:

• A nuclear energy facility creates 1,400-1,800 high-paying jobs during construction, with peak employment estimated as high as 3,500 jobs during that period and yields 400-700 jobs during the operation of the facility.
• Jobs at U.S. nuclear energy facilities today pay 36 percent more than the average salaries in the area.
• The average nuclear energy facility generates approximately $470 million a year in total output for the local community and nearly $40 million per year in total labor income.