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Twelve years after the Kewaunee Power Station shuttered, wounding the local economy, owner EnergySolutions is seeking government approval to build a new nuclear plant at the site — and is trying to buy hundreds of acres of farmland around it.
EnergySolutions and gas and electric utility WEC Energy Group say they’re eyeing the station for a new build because they expect data centers, artificial intelligence and industrial growth to increase electricity demand in the coming decades.
While local residents hope a new plant could bring economic growth, unanswered questions about use of the additional land are making some uneasy.
On a soupy September morning in northeast Wisconsin, a blue semi-truck arrives at Tisch Mills Farm Center in the tiny town of Carlton. Under the hopper of a massive grain bin, roughly 50,000 pounds of ground corn slide down a chute and into the truck’s open back. Within minutes, the driver pulls back onto the road to haul the feed to an Algoma dairy farm, where livestock will eat it.
This process repeats roughly a dozen times each day, with some trucks transporting grain or fertilizer to customers in Illinois and Minnesota. Business is booming, but President Chris Kohnle worries the 80-year-old,family-run establishment could soon take a blow.
The reason? The nuclear power plant a few miles up the road, which has sat lifeless for over a decade.
Twelve years after the Kewaunee Power Station shuttered, wounding the local economy, owner EnergySolutions is seeking government approval to build a new nuclear plant at the site — and is trying to buy hundreds of acres of farmland around it. While local residentshope a new plant could bring economic growth, unanswered questions about use of the additional land are making some uneasy.
“We’ll be losing land that people grow grain on, that people have fertilized, so that will be a detriment to us,” Kohnle said.
Grain bins overlook farmland surrounding Tisch Mills Farm Center on Sept. 16, 2025, in Tisch Mills, Wis. President Chris Kohnle worries the 80-year-old, family-run establishment could take a blow if companies buy up farmland around the Kewaunee Power Station. (Joe Timmerman / Wisconsin Watch)
EnergySolutions and gas and electric utility WEC Energy Group say they’re eyeing the station in the small Kewaunee County town for a new build because they expect data centers, artificial intelligence and industrial growth to increase electricity demand in the coming decades. The plans are in the early stages, and construction likely wouldn’t start until the early 2030s if approved.
Though they’re attempting to purchase hundreds of acres from locals, the companies haven’t confirmed they intend to construct anything at the site beyond a nuclear plant. But residents are demanding reassurance that the land won’t be used for controversial projects dividing other communities, such as data centers. Officials haven’t ruled out the possibility.
Town of Carlton Chairman David Hardtke says town officials have heard from data center companies interested in the site, which is making people nervous.
“The people in Carlton don’t want anything to do with that,” he said.
Despite the nerves, many residents are eager for the economic boost a new nuclear plant could bring to the region. Nuclear energy experts in Wisconsin say communities often enjoy hosting a plant because it creates stable jobs and increases local tax revenues. The project would likely bring thousands of jobs across different sectors, according to WEC.
“The nuclear waste is sitting there anyway, so they can’t do anything else with the property,” Hardtke said. “I’d like to see it rebuilt. They never should have shut it down. … Just rebuild it and start producing power again and we can lower our taxes again.”
A bitter history
Though the industrial 900-acre facility clashes with its picturesque Lake Michigan backdrop and the surrounding farmland, it once lived in harmony with Kewaunee County and the 1,000-person town of Carlton.
Opened in 1974, the plant was Carlton’s economic engine. The roughly $400,000 it paid in utility taxes funded most of the town’s budget. The station provided hundreds of jobs and employed hundreds of visiting workers who regularly traveled to the area and fueled the local hospitality industry.
But that symbiotic relationship turned sour in 2012 when Dominion, the plant’s then-owner, abruptly announced it would close the facility for economic reasons.
David Hardtke, chairman of the town of Carlton and a third-generation farmer, shakes baby powder on his tractor while preparing to bale hay on Sept. 16, 2025, in Kewaunee, Wis. He feels EnergySolutions is “playing with a lot of people’s lives” by not being more transparent. (Joe Timmerman / Wisconsin Watch)
“I was plowing my field over there on the corner, and channel two, channel five, channel 11, channel 26 — they’re all sitting down there at the end of the field waiting for me,” said Hardtke, gesturing to the land that stretches beyond his yellow house. “They wanted a sob story. That’s what they wanted. And, me, I said, ‘The sun’s gonna come up tomorrow morning, and life goes on.’”
Though the town official was nonchalant about the news, it wasn’t so easy. In the years that followed, the region’s economy took repeated hits.
Residents recall a mass exodus of plant workers, whose sizable salaries once circulated through the county. Scores of employees put their houses on the market at once, causing prices to drop and sales to slow. Absent the tax revenue from the plant, Carlton officials were forced to raise taxes to close the roughly $400,000 hole in their budget. Kewaunee County introduced a sales tax that continues today.
Finally, a legal battle between Carlton and Dominion ensnared several parties for years.
In 2015, Carlton officials hired appraisers who assessed the shuttered plant’s property at $457 million. Dominion sued the town, claiming it was worth about $1.3 million. After years of clashing, they settled outside of court in 2017, agreeing to set the property’s value at $15 million and for the county, the school district and the technical college to repay the nearly $12 million in property taxes Dominion paid during the battle.
Framed photos and a century ownership certificate chronicle the history of David Hardtke’s family farm. (Joe Timmerman / Wisconsin Watch)
“They were big business. They didn’t care about Kewaunee, or the town of Carlton, or anything. All they wanted was dollar signs,” Hardtke said.
Dominion sold the plant to Utah-based EnergySolutions in 2022. Since then, a smaller number of workers have chipped away at decommissioning the plant — a decades-long process of cleaning up nuclear waste.
But absent the big industry, the area has become “stagnant,” observes Kewaunee resident Dan Giannotti. He said there’s a major lack of development and no real economic draw for people to stay in the area.
“A lot of people drive on (state Highway) 29 into Green Bay for decent-paying jobs. Every day, back and forth. That’s a 30-mile trip, basically. … These poor kids that graduate high school,” Giannotti said, “they’re gonna have to leave to find good-paying jobs.”
Data center rumors spook Carlton
Several months ago, Carlton resident Glenn Mueller received unexpected mail: an offer from EnergySolutions to buythe 60 acres of land he owns neighboring the nuclear plant at $20,000 per acre.
When several residents received such offers, rumors about the company’s intentions quickly swirled.
Farmland surrounds Tisch Mills Farm Center on Sept. 16, 2025, in Tisch Mills, Wis. (Joe Timmerman / Wisconsin Watch)
The Kewaunee Power Station provided hundreds of jobs and employed hundreds of visiting workers who regularly traveled to the area and fueled the local hospitality industry. The relationship turned sour in 2012 when Dominion, the plant’s then-owner, abruptly announced it would close the facility. (Joe Timmerman / Wisconsin Watch)
Plans to build a new nuclear plant at the Kewaunee Power Station are in the early stages, and construction likely wouldn’t start until the early 2030s, if approved. (Joe Timmerman / Wisconsin Watch)
Frustrated by EnergySolutions “buying up land behind our backs” and eager for answers, Hardtke organized a town hall meeting. Over 100 residents attended and demanded transparency about what the land would be used for.
The next week, EnergySolutions announced it is seeking the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s approval to build a new nuclear facility at the site.
“We are excited to partner with WEC Energy Group to explore the next generation of nuclear power,” EnergySolutions CEO Ken Robuck said in a press release. “With rising energy demand driven by data centers, artificial intelligence and industrial growth, the need for reliable, carbon-free power has never been greater.”
“If you look around the country, different legislators and different legislative bodies and policymakers in general are trying to figure out how to position their states to benefit from that growth and not be left behind,” said Paul Wilson, chair of University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics.
“I think our state policymakers are keen to make sure Wisconsin doesn’t miss out on this,” Wilson said.
Kewaunee is an attractive location because it has hosted a nuclear reactor before, Wilson said. Plus, some infrastructure like transmission lines is still in place. If the site was to be pursued for a data center, the location’s proximity to fresh water is also ideal — data centers need cooling methods to prevent overheating, and Lake Michigan is a good source if used responsibly, Wilson said.
At an August meeting, Hardtke said the town board heard from data center companies interested in the site.He feels EnergySolutions is “playing with a lot of people’s lives” by not being more transparent.
“I’m dead set against (building a data center). I was born a farmer, and I’m always proud to be one,” Hardtke said. “I don’t like to see land wasted for that.”
“I’d like to see it rebuilt,” David Hardtke said of the Kewaunee Power Station. “They never should have shut it down. … Just rebuild it and start producing power again and we can lower our taxes again.” (Joe Timmerman / Wisconsin Watch)
EnergySolutions did not respond to multiple calls and emails from Wisconsin Watch. Asked if there are hopes to build a data processing center at the site, Brendan Conway, the WEC spokesperson, said, “We work regularly with companies across all industries looking to expand their operations. I do not have any specific information about any new developments but we expect electricity demand in Wisconsin to grow significantly and steadily in the coming decades.”
The nonanswers have left Mueller torn about whether to sell his acreage, which borders the nuclear site. He currently leases some of the land to a local family business that uses it to grow hay, and Mueller lets people hunt in the wooded areas. He’s always figured he’d pass it on to his kids. Now, he’s not so sure.
To make an informed decision, Mueller wants to know what EnergySolutions would use the land for, but nobody has given him those answers. He’s spent hundreds of dollars to have a lawyer review the offer and has debated making a counteroffer.
“There’d be a lot of people pissed off if I do sell it,” Mueller said. But he’s “not that young anymore,” he said, and the sale could allow him to fully retire and help his children financially.
“I think everybody in the town is agreeable, happy that nuclear was here,” he said. “I don’t think anybody is upset that it would come back in, but we’re just all upset, as far as we don’t get any answers.”
Eager for an economic boost
While nuclear power’s potential return to the county has sparked many questions, locals arestill largely optimisticabout the economic boost it would bring.
“Jobs, economics, taxes — I think it’d be a great thing,” said Milt Swagel, a county board member who has lived on his Kewaunee farm since 1987. “We have lots of power. I don’t want to be like California or other places with brownouts or blackouts. No, I like my lights.”
The Kewaunee Power Station is visible in the distance about 3 miles from grain bins at Tisch Mills Farm Center on Sept. 16, 2025, in Tisch Mills, Wis. (Joe Timmerman / Wisconsin Watch)
Giannotti attends a weekly coffee group with eight other Kewaunee residents, and the nuclear plant has been a popular topic of discussion, including speculation about what will be built at the site. He’s eager to see if nuclear power’s return would help Kewaunee County grow.
“If you bring in an employer like that who is paying, you’re going to see development,” Giannotti said. “You’re going to see new homes being built and more businesses move in. Because right now, we’re just stagnant. Nothing’s happening to speak of.”
“If that power plant gets going, I think that could ignite.”
WEC Energy Group estimated the project would employ thousands of workers in the region. This includes electrical, civil, chemical and mechanical engineering workers to design and operate the new reactor, plus skilled trades workers such as electricians, welders, pipefitters and construction workers to build it.
“What you typically find is that communities that have hosted nuclear reactors quite like having them there, because it’s good jobs, it’s tax dollars,” said Ben Lindley, assistant professor at UW-Madison’s Department of Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics.
The addition could also keep more young nuclear engineers in Wisconsin. The state only has one plant, located in Two Rivers, so nuclear engineering graduates often have to look for jobs in other states to break into the field, Lindley said.
He added that the plant would likely require bringing in nonlocal workers for construction. Even then, the workers would spend several years in the region and “inject money into the local economy.”
“If you bring in an employer like that who is paying, you’re going to see development,” said Kewaunee resident Dan Giannotti of a new nuclear plant. “You’re going to see new homes being built and more businesses move in. Because right now, we’re just stagnant. Nothing’s happening to speak of.” (Joe Timmerman / Wisconsin Watch)
Andy DiMezza, who lives in nearby Denmark, said he would be eager to work at the nuclear plant. DiMezza studied nuclear chemistry in college, and his wife, Sarah,interned at Kewaunee Power Station when it was operating. She also worked on the Two Rivers plant’s emergency response plan — government-mandated preparation for radiological emergencies — and would want to contribute to Kewaunee’s.
There are still “numerous steps to get through” to determine if the site is suitable for a new plant, Conway said, including the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s “rigorous” permitting process. It could take up to two years for the project to move forward.
If a permit is granted, Conway estimated construction on the plant could begin in the early 2030s, and the plant could come online in 2038 or 2039.
Before that day comes, residents hope they can make their voices and concerns heard.
“I’m trying to make as much noise as possible,” Hardtke said.
“People in Carlton want to be informed,” he said. “They, I think, have a love for the town, just like I do.”
Miranda Dunlap reports on pathways to success in northeast Wisconsin, working in partnership with Open Campus.
Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our newsletters for original stories and our Friday news roundup.
An administrative law judge may decide whether the roughly $450 million plan to reroute an oil and gas pipeline around the Bad River tribe's reservation can move forward after a lengthy hearing wraps up on Friday.
RICHMOND, Va.– As concern for energy reliability surges nationwide, the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is marking National Propane Day by encouraging school transportation directors to explore propane autogas as a reliable, on-site energy solution that can support greater peace of mind during power outages or severe weather.
October 7 marks the fourth annual National Propane Day, and this year’s theme, “Prepare with Propane,” is a reminder of propane autogas’s reliability. A recent report from the U.S. Department of Energy warns that blackouts in the United States could increase 100-fold by 2030 as the electric grid struggles to meet growing demand. For school transportation directors that rely on a rigid energy source, that could mean the difference in keeping school buses running or grounding the fleet. Because propane autogas is stored on site, never degrades, and isn’t reliant on the power grid for distribution, it remains ready even during widespread power disruptions.
“As someone who spent years managing school transportation, I understand firsthand how critical it is to keep vehicles moving,” said Joel Stutheit, senior manager of autogas business development at PERC. “When a fleet goes down, everything stops. Propane autogas gives transportation directors a level of control that other energy sources can’t. It’s dependable, affordable, and always ready no matter what’s happening with the grid.”
Today, more than 22,000 propane autogas school buses are in operation across the United States at more than 1,100 school districts. The energy source is not only resilient but also clean, producing up to 96 percent fewer nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions than diesel. It offers lower fuel and maintenance costs, supports better air quality, and contributes to more consistent uptime.
In addition to propane autogas vehicles, the energy source is also helping electric school bus fleets become more resilient with propane-powered EV charging systems. Powered by a propane generator, and in some cases wind and solar, these off-grid charging solutions can be installed in remote locations, disaster zones, or depots without permanent infrastructure ensuring school buses stay charged even when the grid is down.
Now in its fourth year, National Propane Day is not only a celebration of propane’s energy benefits, but also a moment to recognize the propane professionals who make clean transportation possible.
“From bobtail delivery drivers who make sure customers have energy when they need it to propane autogas service technicians that keep school buses operating safely on the road, National Propane Day is also a celebration of them,” said Joel Stutheit. “We depend on these professionals to keep clean, reliable transportation running every day. And their dedication is what helps fleets stay prepared, no matter what challenges come their way.”
To learn more about propane’s role in providing reliable energy solutions for school transportation, visit propane.com/buses.
About PERC: The Propane Education & Research Council is a nonprofit that provides leading propane safety and training programs and invests in research and development of new propane-powered technologies. PERC is operated and funded by the propane industry. For more information, visit Propane.com.
Wisconsin electricity rates – for residential, industrial and commercial users – have exceeded regional averages annually for 20 years.
From 2003 through 2022, Wisconsin rates exceeded the averages in each of the three user categories for eight Midwest states, Wisconsin Public Service Commission reports show.
For the three categories combined, Wisconsin’s rate was second-highest in 2023-24 and third-highest in 2024-25 among 12 central region states, federal Energy Information Administration figures show.
Here are the July 2025 cents-per-kilowatt hour rates in Wisconsin versus the north central region average:
Residential: $18.30/$17.84
Commercial: $13.39/$13.31
Industrial: $9.87/$9.46
Electric bills rose for residential customers of Wisconsin’s five largest utilities, according to the Wisconsin Citizens Utility Board. For example, the average monthly We Energies bill for a typical residential customer was $128.65 in 2024, twice as high as $56.18 for 2004.
Booming data center construction in Wisconsin could affect utility rates.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
State utility regulators approved a pair of renewable energy projects last week, including Wisconsin's first large-scale wind farm in more than a decade.
The longtime mayor of Menomonie in western Wisconsin says the city won't be negotiating any development agreements with a firm behind a $1.6 billion data center proposal.
Wisconsin lawmakers are unveiling proposed tax incentives designed to bring a wood pulp plant to northern Wisconsin. If the project takes off, pulp from that facility would be used to make fuel for planes and other aircraft.
Canadian mining company GreenLight Metals announced Monday that early drilling results confirm the presence of significant copper and gold at the Bend deposit in northern Wisconsin.
Microsoft’s data centers in the village of Mount Pleasant will require up to 8.4 million gallons of water each year, according to data released Wednesday.
Environmental advocates are suing the city of Racine to force the release of data on projected water use in the first phase of Microsoft’s $3.3 billion data center campus in Mount Pleasant.
As power-hungry data centers proliferate, states are searching for ways to protect utility customers from the steep costs of upgrading the electrical grid, trying instead to shift the cost to AI-driven tech companies. (Dana DiFilippo/New Jersey Monitor)
Two environmental groups are warning state residents about the amount of energy and water that is set to be used following the construction of AI data centers in southern Wisconsin.
In an analysis released Tuesday, Clean Wisconsin found that two data centers approved for construction in Ozaukee and Racine counties will consume enough energy to power 4.3 million homes — nearly double the 2.8 million housing units in the state.
The first AI data warehouse, operated by Microsoft, is set to open next year in Mount Pleasant. The company has promised it will support 500 jobs. The $3.3 billion project is located at the site initially planned for Foxconn’s massive manufacturing plant.
Further north in Ozaukee County, Denver-based Vantage Data Systems has acquired 700 acres of land in rural Port Washington. The company has planned a campus that will hold 11 data center buildings and five substations, according to concepts approved by the local government.
Clean Wisconsin’s analysis found that these two projects will require a combined 3.9 gigawatts of power and hundreds of thousands of gallons of water to keep the buildings cooled.
“To put this in perspective, that is more than three times the power production capacity of Wisconsin’s Point Beach nuclear plant,” Paul Mathewson, Clean Wisconsin science program director, who conducted the analysis, said in a statement. “And because only two of the data center projects have disclosed their power needs, we know this is really just a fraction of what the energy use would be if all those data centers are ultimately built.”
The power needs of the two sites are just the tip of the iceberg for the energy and water needs of data centers, which house the servers used to host chatbots such as Chat GPT, stream video and use social media. Microsoft has plans for a smaller data center in Kenosha County. Work is also underway on a data center on 830 acres in Beaver Dam reportedly for Facebook owner Meta. In addition, a Virginia-based company has eyed a site in Dane County, Wisconsin Rapids has plans for a $200 million data center and Janesville is seeking to build a center in a former General Motors assembly plant.
A proposed project in Caledonia has been delayed following local resistance to the project’s proposed rezoning of 240 acres of farmland. The community’s plan commission postponed a July vote on the proposal until later this month.
Environmental advocates say local officials and the state’s power companies are rushing to attract data centers to Wisconsin based on the ambiguous promise of jobs without accounting for the effect they could have on a community’s water sources and energy needs. Increases in the amount of power used by the state could result in the state relying more heavily and for longer periods on non-renewable sources of energy and raise energy rates for households.
‘More questions than answers’
“If data centers come to Wisconsin, they must benefit — not harm — our communities. But right now, we have far more questions than answers about their impacts. How much energy and water will a project use? How will those demands be met? Will there be backup diesel generators on site and how often will they be fired up for testing? Our communities don’t have the transparency they need and deserve,” Chelsea Chandler, Clean Wisconsin’s climate, energy and air director said.
Data centers also often emit a constant humming sound as the servers work inside, creating an irritating noise pollutant for neighbors.
Both the Mount Pleasant and Port Washington projects are close to Lake Michigan, raising further complications about the centers’ use of water and the protection of the Great Lakes. The Foxconn site in Mount Pleasant was already at the center of a controversial plan to divert 7 million gallons of water per day from Lake Michigan.
“There has been very little transparency about the amount of water that will be used on site at these proposed data center campuses. Add to that a lack of transparency about energy use, and it’s impossible to know what the impact on Wisconsin’s water resources will be,” Sarah Walling, Clean Wisconsin’s water and agriculture program director said. “Communities need to know what the on-site demand will be on the hottest, driest days of the year when our water systems are most stressed. And we need to understand how much water will be needed off site to meet a data center’s enormous energy demands.”
Demanding water-use information from Racine
Earlier this week, Midwest Environmental Advocates filed a lawsuit against the city of Racine for records about the Mount Pleasant center’s projected water usage. Water for the center will be provided by the Racine Water Utility under an agreement with the village of Mount Pleasant.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Milwaukee Riverkeeper, is seeking to force Racine to hand over information about projected water usage requested through an open records request in February. In a news release, MEA noted that many companies constructing data centers across the country require that local governments sign non-disclosure agreements.
The legal advocacy group noted that data centers can use as much water as a small to medium sized city and the public has a right to know the scale of water use.
“Wisconsin law requires public officials to respond to public records requests ‘as soon as practicable and without delay.’ Yet more than six months after making their request, our clients are still waiting,” MEA legal fellow Michael Greif said. “This blatant disregard for the Public Records Law violates their rights and deprives them of the transparency they deserve. Community members have a right to know how much water a data center will use before it is built.”
Customers from some of Wisconsin's largest electric utilities this week asked state regulators to block the utilities from increasing electric rates in each of the next two years.
WOODSTOWN, N.J. – B.R. Williams Inc., a leading school bus contractor in New Jersey, announced today that it is the first school bus contractor in the state to pilot the DEMINeuFuel school bus platform (aka the “CowFartBus”) to run on a blend of renewable natural gas (RNG) and diesel. This initiative marks a significant step for the company towards utilizing nearzero carbon fuel in student transportation.
The DEMI-NeuFuel system, made possible through a partnership between American CNG® and Ingevity®, allows operators to convert existing diesel school buses to run on a blend of diesel and RNG. Ultimately, it provides a cost-effective way for school bus contractors and districts to reduce fuel costs with the use of natural gas and a low-cost and small footprint fueling appliance. And,unlike other alternative fuel options, the DEMI-NeuFuel system’s dual-fuel capabilities eliminate the range anxiety that many drivers experience.
“We are excited to be the first school bus operator in New Jersey to implement the DEMI-NeuFuel platform,” said Chloe Williams, President at B.R. Williams Inc. “This technology offers a cost-effective and environmentally responsible solution for reducing our carbon footprint on our existing diesel vehicles.”
Through the use of the DEMI-NeuFuel technology and RNG, B.R. Williams can reduce its annual fuel costs by over 60% on the displaced diesel, eliminating approximately 1,945* gallons of diesel per year, and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by approximately 20 metric tons per year, which is the equivalent of 10,800 miles driven by a diesel school bus, further protecting New Jersey’s air quality.
B.R. Williams joins a growing number of school bus contractors and districts nationwide that are working toward reducing emissions and improving air quality for students and communities. The use of the DEMI-NeuFuel system is part of a broader effort by B.R. Williams to maximize its environmental stewardship while also enhancing its fiscal responsibility with the use of cleaner, more cost-effective fuel solutions for student transportation.
“Ingevity is proud to support B.R. Williams and school districts around the country on their sustainability journeys,” said Dante Marini, Product Engineer at Ingevity. “Our DEMI-NeuFuel technology offers the flexibility school bus fleet operators need to meet their operational requirements without compromising performance or efficiency. We are excited to continue advancing clean energy solutions for school transportation.”
New heat-transfer system targets HVAC’s biggest inefficiencies, delivering up to 10x the performance without refrigerants, pumps, or significant energy input. When it comes to building a sustainable energy future, there are two sides to the equation: generation and demand. While most of the attention has been placed on producing more clean power, there’s an equally …
(WASHINGTON, DC) — The Trump administration has launched an unprecedented attack on America’s offshore wind industry, directing six federal agencies – including the Health and Human Services Department and the Defense Department – to draft plans to undermine renewable energy projects already underway. The White House, led by Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Senior …
CAMPBELL, Calif. CLEVELAND, Ohio, – ChargePoint (NYSE: CHPT), a leading provider of EV charging solutions, together with intelligent power management company Eaton, today announced an ultrafast charging architecture with end-to-end power infrastructure for public charging and fleets. ChargePoint Express Grid, powered by Eaton, is a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capable solution that delivers up to 600kW of power for passenger EVs and can provide megawatt charging for heavy-duty commercial applications.
The innovative integration of ChargePoint’s Express chargers with Eaton’s end-to-end electrical solutions delivers a powerful solution to overcome grid constraints, addressing the challenge of how to cost-effectively scale charging for the growing number of EVs entering service. By leveraging Eaton’s Everything as a Grid approach and integrated V2G capabilities, the system can seamlessly synchronize onsite renewables, energy storage and vehicle batteries with local energy markets to help fleets significantly reduce fueling costs. When deployed at scale with participating utilities, the joint architecture can even help balance the electric grid.
“The new ChargePoint Express architecture, and particularly the Express Grid variant, will take DC fast charging to levels of performance and cost not previously imagined. This latest technological breakthrough further demonstrates our commitment to deliver innovation,” said Rick Wilmer, CEO of ChargePoint. “Combined with Eaton’s end-to-end grid capabilities, ChargePoint is delivering solutions to help EVs win on pure economics, regardless of tax incentives or government support.”
“Accelerating electrification at scale hinges on industry-changing technology from trusted manufacturers that can be deployed faster while achieving new levels of reliability and efficiency at a significantly lower cost,” said Paul Ryan, vice president and general manager of energy transition at Eaton. “Our partnership with ChargePoint is an accelerator for innovation in electrification, with novel technology today and into the future that makes going electric the smart choice.”
Eaton will custom engineer each Express configuration with comprehensive power infrastructure delivered site-ready with the option of a skid-mounted solution to expedite installation, reduce equipment requirements, and simplify connection to the grid and distributed energy resources (DERs). Eaton also plans to commercialize solid-state transformer technology in the next year through its recent acquisition of Resilient Power Systems Inc. to support DC applications in the EV market and beyond.
The ChargePoint Express Grid, powered by Eaton, will debut at the RE+ trade show in Las Vegas in Booth #V8071. Express solutions are available to order for select customers in North America and Europe, with deliveries beginning in the second half of 2026. Learn more here. To learn more about the ChargePoint Express line of EV chargers, please visit https://info.chargepoint.com/dc-architecture.html.
About ChargePoint Holdings, Inc.
ChargePoint has established itself as the leader in electric vehicle (EV) charging innovation since its inception in 2007, long before EVs became widely available. The company provides comprehensive solutions tailored to the entire EV ecosystem, from the grid to the dashboard of the vehicle. The company serves EV drivers, charging station owners, vehicle manufacturers, and similar types of stakeholders. With a commitment to accessibility and reliability, ChargePoint’s extensive portfolio of software, hardware, and services ensures a seamless charging experience for drivers across North America and Europe. ChargePoint empowers every driver in need of charging access, connecting them to over 1.25 million charging ports worldwide. ChargePoint has facilitated the powering of more than 16 billion electric miles, underscoring its dedication to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and electrifying the future of transportation. For further information, please visit the ChargePoint pressroom or the ChargePoint Investor Relations site. For media inquiries, contact the ChargePoint press office.
About Eaton:
Eaton is an intelligent power management company dedicated to protecting the environment and improving the quality of life for people everywhere. We make products for the data center, utility, industrial, commercial, machine building, residential, aerospace and mobility markets. We are guided by our commitment to do business right, to operate sustainably and to help our customers manage power ─ today and well into the future. By capitalizing on the global growth trends of electrification and digitalization, we’re helping to solve the world’s most urgent power management challenges and building a more sustainable society for people today and generations to come.
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The MIT Sailing Pavilion hosted an altogether different marine vessel recently: a prototype of a solar electric boat developed by James Worden ’89, the founder of the MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team (SEVT). Worden visited the pavilion on a sizzling, sunny day in late July to offer students from the SEVT, the MIT Edgerton Center, MIT Sea Grant, and the broader community an inside look at the Anita, named for his late wife.
Worden’s fascination with solar power began at age 10, when he picked up a solar chip at a “hippy-like” conference in his hometown of Arlington, Massachusetts. “My eyes just lit up,” he says. He built his first solar electric vehicle in high school, fashioned out of cardboard and wood (taking first place at the 1984 Massachusetts Science Fair), and continued his journey at MIT, founding SEVT in 1986. It was through SEVT that he met his wife and lifelong business partner, Anita Rajan Worden ’90. Together, they founded two companies in the solar electric and hybrid vehicles space, and in 2022 launched a solar electric boat company.
On the Charles River, Worden took visitors for short rides on Anita, including a group of current SEVT students who peppered him with questions. The 20-foot pontoon boat, just 12 feet wide and 7 feet tall, is made of carbon fiber composites, single crystalline solar photovoltaic cells, and lithium iron phosphate battery cells. Ultimately, Worden envisions the prototype could have applications as mini-ferry boats and water taxis.
With warmth and humor, he drew parallels between the boat’s components and mechanics and those of the solar cars the students are building. “It’s fun! If you think about all the stuff you guys are doing, it’s all the same stuff,” he told them, “optimizing all the different systems and making them work.” He also explained the design considerations unique to boating applications, like refining the hull shape for efficiency and maneuverability in variable water and wind conditions, and the critical importance of protecting wiring and controls from open water and condensate.
“Seeing Anita in all its glory was super cool,” says Nicole Lin, vice captain of SEVT. “When I first saw it, I could immediately map the different parts of the solar car to its marine counterparts, which was astonishing to see how far I’ve come as an engineer with SEVT. James also explained the boat using solar car terms, as he drew on his experience with solar cars for his solar boats. It blew my mind to see the engineering we learned with SEVT in action.”
Over the years, the Wordens have been avid supporters of SEVT and the Edgerton Center, so the visit was, in part, a way to pay it forward to MIT. “There’s a lot of connections,” he says. He’s still awed by the fact that Harold “Doc” Edgerton, upon learning about his interest in building solar cars, carved out a lab space for him to use in Building 20 — as a first-year student. And a few years ago, as Worden became interested in marine vessels, he tapped Sea Grant Education Administrator Drew Bennett for a 90-minute whiteboard lecture, “MIT fire-hose style,” on hydrodynamics. “It was awesome!” he says.
A group of visitors sets off from the dock for a cruise around the Charles River. The Anita weighs about 2,800 pounds and can accommodate six passengers at a time.
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