Gov. Evers, WEDC Announce Realta Fusion to Relocate Corporate Headquarters to Former Oscar Mayer Plant in Madison, Boosting State’s Carbon-Free Electricity Efforts

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today joined the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and company leaders in announcing that Realta Fusion will locate its corporate headquarters and fusion research facility at OM Station, the site of the former Oscar Mayer plant, in Madison.

“Fusion energy is not only good for our planet and our power grid, but it plays to all of our strengths as a state with our world-class research universities, research laboratories, and an incredible manufacturing and supply chain network supported by our dedicated and highly skilled workforce,” said Gov. Evers. “Thanks in large part due to our efforts, we are getting closer every day to making fusion power part of our energy infrastructure and a commercially viable source of energy, and this new partnership will only strengthen that work. We are thrilled to help Realta grow its science and engineering expertise, build up its technology, and bring the economic benefits of fusion home to Wisconsin.”

Nuclear energy generates safe, reliable, carbon-free electricity to power Wisconsin homes and businesses and remains an important part of Wisconsin’s existing energy infrastructure, accounting for 16 percent of the state’s energy generation, according to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin’s (PSC) most recent Strategic Energy Assessment. Wisconsin has emerged as a regional and national hub for fusion research and collaboration, driven by decades of leadership at the University of Wisconsin (UW)–Madison and a growing ecosystem of industry partnerships and startup companies. As part of his 2026 State of the State address this year, Gov. Evers identified fusion research as a top priority for Wisconsin, announcing a partnership between the PSC and the UW–Madison Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics to conduct the state’s nuclear energy siting study.

Realta officials said they expect to break ground on “The Realta Forge,” its dedicated research and development (R&D) facility, where it will begin building the prototype magnetic mirror fusion machine it calls Hammir before the end of this year. Company leaders thanked Gov. Evers and WEDC for their strong support of commercial fusion activities in the state.

“We spent the better part of the past two years scouring the countryside to find the most favorable business environment and the most attractive site to build our R&D facility, and we found it in our own backyard,” said Realta CEO Kieran Furlong. “The state of Wisconsin and the city of Madison have made it clear they understand the promise of fusion energy and share our vision for the future, and now they’ve thrown their lot in together to make that vision a reality.”

This announcement comes as earlier this spring, Gov. Evers signed 2025 Wisconsin Act 165, which exempts capital expenditures on fusion energy projects from state sales and use taxes. In addition, WEDC is providing a $778,000 Ignite Wisconsin grant to the Wisconsin Fusion Energy Coalition to position the state as a national hub for fusion energy commercialization.

“Fusion energy is an emerging global industry where Wisconsin and the Great Lakes Region are uniquely positioned to lead,” said WEDC Secretary and CEO John W. Miller. “WEDC welcomes Realta’s decision to stay in Wisconsin and continue its game-changing work where it all began.”

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND ON GOV. EVERS’ EFFORTS TO BUILD A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE IN WISCONSIN

Since Day One, Gov. Evers and the Evers Administration have been committed to promoting climate resilience and building a clean energy economy in the state. In his first year in office, Gov. Evers joined the U.S. Climate Alliance, of which he is now the first Midwest governor to serve as an executive board member. The governor, along with his fellow U.S. Climate Alliance governors, is committed to collectively achieving the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement to combat climate change and has established an ambitious goal of ensuring 100 percent carbon-free electricity consumption in Wisconsin by 2050. In 2019, Gov. Evers also created the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change, which advised and assisted the governor in developing strategies to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change for the benefit of all Wisconsin communities.

In addition to joining the Alliance in 2019, in his first year in office, Gov. Evers signed Executive Order #38 to create the OSCE, charging the office with developing the Wisconsin Clean Energy Plan to promote the development and use of clean and renewable energy across the state, advance innovative sustainability solutions that improve the state’s economy and environment, and diversify the resources used to meet the state’s energy needs.

In accordance with Gov. Evers’ Executive Order #38, the state’s first-ever Clean Energy Plan was released in 2022, providing a roadmap for the state to lower energy bills and prices at the pump for Wisconsin families, promote energy independence by reducing reliance on out-of-state energy sources, create an estimated more than 40,000 jobs by 2030, and invest in job training and apprenticeship programs in innovative industries and technologies. Since creating Wisconsin’s Clean Energy Plan four years ago, OSCE has released annual clean energy progress reports to outline the strides the state is making to meet our clean energy goals.

Additionally, in 2023, Gov. Evers created the Green Ribbon Commission on Clean Energy and Environmental Innovation to advise on creating the state’s first-ever Green Innovation Fund. The Green Innovation Fund and its partners work to leverage public and private financing to invest in projects that provide environmental and clean energy solutions to businesses, reduce pollution, lower energy costs for families, and expand access to clean, affordable energy options.

Earlier this year, the PSC announced that Wisconsin is now a national leader in enrollment for the Inflation Reduction Act Home Energy Rebate programs, which have helped residents statewide reduce energy use and lower utility bills. Wisconsin was the very first state to make energy efficiency upgrades available under the Home Energy Rebates (HOMES) Program in August 2024 and remains one of only a handful of states in the country to offer both the HOMES Program and the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate (HEAR) Program, which was launched a few months later.

Since launching the programs in 2024, more than $12 million in rebates have been paid to Wisconsin households to install popular energy-efficient measures, including air sealing, insulation, heat pumps for cooling and heating, and electric panels and wiring. More about the state’s efforts through the HOMES and HEAR programs to help Wisconsin households save energy and money with energy-efficient home upgrades can be found on Gov. Evers’ press release page.

In recent years, advancements in nuclear technology and increased demand for energy have led to renewed interest in nuclear energy nationwide, which is why, in addition to signing Act 165, Gov. Evers signed 2025 Wisconsin Act 12 last July to launch a nuclear power siting study, supported by $2 million in funding provided by the 2025-27 Biennial Budget, that will bolster knowledge and understanding of how Wisconsin’s nuclear energy potential can help meet the state’s growing need for carbon-free energy.

The overarching goal of the siting study is to provide foundational information and a thorough evaluation of potential nuclear energy development opportunities in Wisconsin to help guide future actions. The study scope encompasses traditional nuclear power, small modular reactors, and advanced technologies, including fusion energy. It will identify various siting opportunities and analyze site characteristics, suitability, regulatory, and permitting requirements, as well as impacts to local economies and the power grid. Information from industry experts at the Oak Ridge and Pacific Northwest National Laboratories will be incorporated into the study, as will feedback from recent experiences with the construction and operation of nuclear projects. Act 12 requires the study to be completed by the start of 2027.

As announced by Gov. Evers in his 2026 State of the State address, the siting study will be conducted by PSC and the UW-Madison Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics, as UW-Madison has one of the nation’s few remaining teaching and research nuclear reactors and is a national leader in fusion energy research. Gov. Evers toured the University of Wisconsin Nuclear Reactor in March, celebrating the new dynamic partnership and its impact in advancing the goals of Wisconsin’s Clean Energy Plan.

In addition to the nuclear power siting study, in July 2025, Gov. Evers also signed 2025 Wisconsin Act 11, creating a Nuclear Power Summit Board designed to help advance nuclear power and fusion technology and development, and to showcase Wisconsin’s leadership and innovation in the nuclear industry through the hosting of a nuclear power summit in the city of Madison.

In addition to the new partnership between the PSC and UW-Madison, Gov. Evers also announced in his 2026 State of the State address that the state is taking the first steps to continue efforts to purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) from Wisconsin utilities and renewable energy projects for the next two decades, continuing the state’s long-standing practice of leading by example and ensuring Wisconsinites have access to in-state renewable electricity and building on his administration’s efforts to help bolster clean energy in Wisconsin. The state plans to purchase approximately 225,000 RECs every year for the next 20 years, representing 225,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of renewable electricity each year, which is enough energy to power more than half a million Wisconsin homes.

Since 2007, the state of Wisconsin has purchased over 1.8 million RECs from Wisconsin utilities. Each REC represents the equivalent of about one MWh of renewable energy. By purchasing RECs, state agencies support Wisconsin-based jobs, local economic development, clean air, and clean water, while offsetting their net greenhouse gas emissions. The RFP seeks proposals capable of delivering RECs starting in January 2031 for a 20-year term, helping position state agencies and universities to achieve Wisconsin’s goal of 100-percent carbon-free electricity by 2050.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

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