WED AM News: SHINE announces nuclear fuel recycling partnership with Tennessee company; Evers signs bill supporting data center projects

July 9, 2025

— SHINE Technologies has announced a new partnership with a Tennessee company, Standard Nuclear, aimed at turning recycled nuclear fuel into a “strategic asset” for new fuel production.

That’s according to SHINE CEO and founder Greg Piefer, who calls the agreement an “important step toward closing the nuclear fuel cycle” and making nuclear energy renewable.

“Together, we’re building the ecosystem needed to turn waste into a strategic asset and move closer to a future where clean energy is both practical and sustainable,” Piefer said in a statement.

Under the partnership, Janesville-based SHINE will provide recycled nuclear materials such as uranium and plutonium from planned spent fuel recycling facilities to Standard Nuclear, which the company will use to produce a nuclear fuel product called TRISO. It will also be used to provide isotopes for power systems, according to the release.

TRISO is made of uranium particles contained within ceramic and carbon layers, and the company boasts better safety and durability at extreme temperatures for use in advanced reactors. The announcement notes Standard Nuclear is the only independent U.S. developer of this fuel for such reactors, helping to reduce domestic reliance on foreign production.

Ultimately, the companies say they aim to develop a “closed-loop, circular economic solution” to domestic nuclear fuel production.

The one-year partnership framework hinges on SHINE’s approach to recycling the 90,000 metric tons of nuclear waste that’s currently stored in the United States, which the company notes contains “decades of untapped energy potential.”

SHINE plans to start building its first commercial recycling facility in the early 2030s, with an initial target of processing 100 metric tons per year. The company has created a pilot plant at the concept phase, according to Piefer, and is working toward a “more mature design” in the coming years. Full-scale operation is planned for the mid-2030s.

In a recent interview, Piefer noted SHINE’s approach to using recycled nuclear fuel is a key step in its path toward fusion energy production, building on its work in medical isotopes and industrial testing applications.

“That’s a great opportunity for us to prove the economics of the recycling case,” he said.

See the release and see more in a recent story on nuclear energy legislation in the state.

— Gov. Tony Evers has signed a bill aiming to attract new data centers in Port Washington and Green Bay.

Wisconsin Act 16 creates exceptions for Tax Increment Districts in the two cities. It states that the 12% equalized value limit doesn’t apply in TID Number 5 in Port Washington and TID Number 10 in Beaver Dam if project costs are related to creating a certified data center.

It also prohibits projects from being amended to include unrelated costs in the district and prohibits the TIDs from allocating positive tax increments to other districts.

“This bill will help these two communities compete for new data centers, bolster our local communities, and build upon our work to build a 21st-century workforce and economy. I look forward to seeing how these developments will continue to take shape in the months and years ahead,” Evers said.

— The Kenosha Area Business Alliance is touting a $200 million commitment from manufacturer Balcan Innovations to expand its Pleasant Prairie facilities between now and early 2026.

The company, which makes flexible packaging and other products, has been operating in Pleasant Prairie since 2021. It currently employs 103 people in the region and its expansion project is expected to create 87 new jobs there over the next three years, according to a release. New jobs will start to open by December of this year or earlier.

WEDC has authorized up to $380,000 in performance-based tax credits for the expansion project, which the company can earn by hitting capital investment and job creation targets.

At the same time, KABA says it’s providing a $1.6 million low-interest loan to Balcan Innovations, which will be used to help purchase the equipment that will be used in the expanded production facility.

Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman says the company is “one of the many high-quality employers that have moved operations to Kenosha County in recent years, and now it’s exciting to see the company expand its footprint here.”

See the release.

— UW-Stevens Point is launching a new AI-focused bachelor’s degree this fall, combining technical education with ethical considerations for the technology.

Associate Prof. Tomi Heimonen says the new Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence program will overlap with the university’s existing computer information systems program, but will also include new courses focused on AI.

The degree will cover various topics including deep learning, neural networks, natural language processing, cloud environments and cybersecurity, according to the announcement. A capstone course to finish the major will have students building AI applications for local groups, while other classes will cover more broad topics such as data analytics, programming and mathematics.

“I think the hallmark of all our courses is that it’s not just theory,” Heimonen said in the release. “There’s a pretty heavy application emphasis in all of them.”

He also pointed to “a gap between the number of trained professionals and what the workforce needs,” noting UWSP aims to meet the demand for AI expertise of employers in the state.

Yesterday’s announcement emphasizes the importance of ethical consideration for AI applications, noting classes in the major will highlight social responsibility and human oversight for the technology.

“There has to be some guardrails,” Heimonen said. “If we’re going to trust AI to make decisions, we need to make sure those decisions are accurate, fair and conveyed in a way that can be explained to the user.”

See the release.

— Dem Gov. Tony Evers is countering claims by Derrick Van Orden that the GOP congressman played a role in boosting the hospital assessment to generate millions more in federal dollars for health care in Wisconsin.

Evers and GOP lawmakers last week raced to complete the budget before the president could sign the reconciliation bill to ensure the increased assessment wouldn’t be barred by a provision in the federal legislation.

Among other things, Van Orden has suggested it was congressional and legislative Republicans who were responsible for guaranteeing “access to health care” in the state budget.

Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback said Van Orden didn’t contact the guv’s office about the assessment until June 30 — after a deal had already been reached with GOP lawmakers to increase the tax — despite discussions in DC dating back to the spring about preventing such a move. She added Van Orden had nothing to do with the increased assessment being included in the budget.

“Put simply, if Congressman Van Orden wanted to take credit for supporting Medicaid and protecting Wisconsinites’ access to healthcare, perhaps he shouldn’t have voted to gut Medicaid and kick 250,000 Wisconsinites off their healthcare,” Cudaback said.

The offices of Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and the co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee didn’t immediately respond to a message Monday seeking comment.

Evers first proposed in February upping the assessment to 5.7% of hospital patient revenue through his state budget plan. It had been 1.8%. The state uses that money to draw additional federal funds through the Medicaid program.

The deal he struck with GOP lawmakers — announced publicly early July 1 — included taking the assessment to 6%, the maximum allowed for matching funds. The move is expected to generate an additional $1 billion a year in payments to hospitals while providing more money to the state.

The reconciliation bill the House approved in May with Van Orden’s support included language barring states from establishing new provider taxes and freezing the assessment at existing rates for those that already had them.

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