The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.

MADISON, Wis. – A baby born today in Wisconsin may not see nuclear fusion become a part of the commercial energy landscape until he or she is “twenty-something” … and still waiting for the Green Bay Packers to win another Super Bowl. (Sorry about those back-to-back downers.)

However, that same baby and its parents can be optimistic about Wisconsin’s chances of being among the leaders over the next decade in the research and development of nuclear fusion as a clean, virtually limitless source of electricity to power the world.

Let’s examine why fusion’s R&D foothold in Wisconsin is getting stronger. Football predictions will be left to better observers.

First, what is fusion? This is the same atomic reaction that powers the sun. It’s an emissions-free form of energy generation that works by melding lightweight atoms (such as hydrogen, deuterium and tritium) to produce sub-atomic particle neutrons, helium and energy.

It is different than fission, which occurs when the nucleus of an atom splits into two or more smaller nuclei and other particles, producing energy through a controlled process.

With fusion, the fuel source is infinite, and the energy density is at least 10 million times that of fossil fuels. There are no carbon emissions, and the neutrons produced by a reaction are far more useful and valuable than the energy it takes to launch a reaction.

That sounds far simpler than it is, as pulling off that process at a commercial scale is enormously difficult and even a bit theoretical. Still, there are reasons for optimism:

  • There are two nuclear medicine companies in Wisconsin that employ fusion to make drugs for hard-to-cure conditions. They are SHINE Technologies and NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, both in Rock County. Fusion expertise within those companies is not confined to medical technologies.
  • The Wisconsin Legislature and Gov. Tony Evers have approved bipartisan legislation to support the state’s efforts to advance both fission and fusion. That’s no small feat in a divided Capitol.
  • Wisconsin has one of the leading nuclear physics programs in the United States at UW-Madison’s College of Engineering. One of a handful of academic reactors in the United States sits on the UW-Madison campus, and its graduates are largely coveted by companies hoping to build a talented workforce.
  •  The Madison City Council on June 9 unanimously approved $2.8 million in tax increment financing for a potential fusion energy research facility at the site of the former Oscar Mayer plant on Madison’s North Side.

This would help Madison-based Realta Fusion redevelop more than 200,000 square feet of the property for office, research and manufacturing, with at least 200 jobs created. It’s another company with UW-Madison ties.

City money for the project is deemed “post-performance,” meaning funding must be released in six intervals, provided certain job and property value thresholds are met. Realta executives must still decide if they’re staying in Wisconsin, so the deal is still pending.

Wisconsin has not won every fusion fight thus far. Another UW-Madison spinoff, Type One Fusion, elected to move to Tennessee and is also performing well.

There’s a side story to the Oscar Mayer space: It’s cavernous at roughly 2 million square feet. Not only could other fusion-related companies fit in, but other businesses of all descriptions. Property owners are Randy Goll and Dan Seibel, both from the Milwaukee area.

There’s still a long way to go, especially when it comes to the mega-dollars needed to bring fusion companies to the goal line. Tech Crunch, which reports on technology news, recently listed 13 private fusion firms that have collectively raised billions of private equity dollars. SHINE Technologies was on that list at $778 million; Realta Fusion has raised a reported $54 million in all forms.

Fusion competition comes from Europe, East Asia and China, which is opting for state-run investment versus private dollars. Either way, no world power will wait for the United States to catch up.

Wisconsin has a foundation to compete globally. And the optimist in me hopes the Packers will get back to the Super Bowl while that baby is still a baby.

Still is past president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. He is an adviser to Competitive Wisconsin Inc., a non-profit public policy group.