Sen. Dan Feyen (R-Fond du Lac) and Rep. Ben Franklin (R-De Pere) received the 2026Emerging Energy Champion Award for their work in building a hub around fusion energy.
5 Lakes Institute Chairman Mark Ehrmann presented the award to the legislators on May 5 following the Great Lakes Fusion Energy Summit. The Summit and reception attracted nearly 400 attendees to learn about fusion technologies.
Sen. Feyen and Rep. Franklin were the lead authors and promoters of Wisconsin’s fusion bill passed on April 2. Act 165 is the first state-level sales and use tax exemption for fusion energy projects in the U.S.
“This bipartisan legislation signals Wisconsin’s strong commitment to being a destination for the fusion industry and an enthusiastic partner in the build-out of a high-margin, high-impact supply chain across the Great Lakes region,” Kathleen Gallagher, executive director of 5 Lakes Institute, said in a statement.
UW-Madison-associated fusion company Realta Fusion said in a statement, “We’re talking thousands of high-paying jobs, billions in outside investment and a spot at the head of the pack in the race to lead a new wave of manufacturing that will export fusion machines across the globe.”
