University of Wisconsin–Madison
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Ignite Wisconsin grant works to jumpstart Wisconsin’s lead in fusion energy

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By: Riley McCauley

Originally posted in WKOW.

Ignite Wisconsin’s grant of nearly $800K to the Wisconsin Fusion Energy Coalition will help push Wisconsin as a national hub for fusion energy.

Gov. Tony Evers, along with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), announced Thursday that the coalition, led by 5 Lakes Institute and UW-Madison’s fusion research work, will “accelerate startup formation, supply chain development, and community outreach in a sector projected to reach nearly $3 trillion by 2080.”

“Nuclear energy is the largest source of clean power in our country, and it’s a safe, reliable, carbon-free option to power our homes and businesses. This could be a game-changer for our state,” Gov. Evers said. “Our newly created Ignite Wisconsin program is going to make strategic investments to advance startups in our state in targeted sectors to boost our homegrown innovation.”

WEDC, Realta Fusion, and 5 Lakes and its Wisconsin Fusion Energy Coalition partners are expecting to provide financial support to five startup teams and technical assistance to more than 80 companies in 18 months.

“WEDC’s Ignite Wisconsin grant program has created a unique opportunity to build a strong coalition and bring together great organizations that did not previously know each other,” said Kathleen Gallagher, executive director of 5 Lakes Institute. “Wisconsin Fusion Energy Coalition’s partners have the combined skills to build a robust ecosystem around one of Wisconsin’s most promising sectors.”

The Ignite grant will also focus on elevating the brand awareness of the state’s fusion energy, expanding the Great Lakes Fusion Energy Summit, scheduled for May 5.

For more information, visit the Ignite Wisconsin website.

Featured image caption: Douglass Endrizzi (left), honorary fellow in the Department of Physics and scientist at Realta Fusion, and Jesse Viola (right), honorary fellow in the Department of Physics and research associate at Realta Fusion, check a component at the Wisconsin HTS Axisymmetric Mirror Project (WHAM) experiment being conducted at the Wisconsin Plasma Physics Laboratory in Stoughton, Wisconsin. Part of a public-private partnership between UW–Madison and Realta Fusion Inc, the WHAM achieved the milestone of creating plasma as part of fusion energy research. Photo by: Bryce Richter.