Dairyland Power and Applied Atomics Explore Small Modular Reactors at Closed Genoa Nuclear Site

Dairyland Power Cooperative will explore new nuclear power at the decommissioned La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor near Genoa, Wisconsin, with New Orleans-based developer Applied Atomics, the cooperative announced. The partners will assess one or more small modular reactors totaling around 150 megawatts, with commercial operation possible as early as 2032. Yahoo published the announcement on November 12, 2026.

What the Genoa Site Study Covers

The 50-megawatt facility along the Mississippi River was Wisconsin's first nuclear power plant. It operated from 1969 to 1987, and the site still stores spent nuclear fuel. A 345-megawatt coal plant at Genoa shut in 2021.

Dairyland Power said a potential plant could serve as a reliable, carbon-free alternative to fossil fuel-burning facilities and complement the cooperative's solar and wind fleet. "Nuclear works well with renewables," said Grover Hettel, Dairyland Power's executive vice president and chief nuclear officer. "When the wind goes away, you can pick the load back up" with nuclear power.

The small modular design allows a significant portion of the reactor to be assembled and then shipped to the site, which Hettel said decreases construction time and costs. Cost remains one of Dairyland Power's major questions. "We're not going to enter into it if it's not going to benefit our members," Hettel said, adding that the cooperative is also looking into potential grants, low-interest loans and other funding sources.

Applied Atomics CEO Ben Kellie said in a statement that the site's generating history, existing transmission infrastructure and Dairyland's growing energy needs make it "one of the top opportunities to deploy clean, affordable nuclear power by the early 2030s." In August 2026, Applied Atomics signed an agreement with BWXT to acquire exclusive land-based rights to the mPower small modular reactor design, which BWXT had shelved in 2017, according to AInvest.

Dairyland Power's Cooperative Scale

Dairyland Power, headquartered in La Crosse, provides wholesale electricity to 24 member cooperatives and 27 municipal utilities in western Wisconsin and parts of Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota, according to akta.pro company records. The same records list 3,720 miles of transmission lines and more than 800,000 people served through member cooperatives and municipal utilities. The cooperative was founded in 1941.

Dairyland Power's Nuclear and Plant Decisions

In October 2026, Dairyland Power and Applied Atomics signed a Letter of Intent to evaluate Applied Atomics' small modular reactor technology at the Genoa site, PR Newswire reported. Earlier that month, Dairyland Power cancelled plans for the 625 MW NTEC natural gas plant on Lake Superior and asked the Wisconsin Public Service Commission to withdraw permits, CleanTechnica reported.

When a Genoa Nuclear Decision Is Due

Applied Atomics and Dairyland Power will study the site and decide whether to pursue a project by the end of 2027, Hettel said.