By State Rep. Pauline Wendzel

Michigan has never been a state that waits for the future to happen. We build. We innovate. We lead. And this week, with a bipartisan vote in the House Energy Committee, we took a historic step toward cementing Michigan’s leadership in developing next-generation nuclear technology.

The Great American Nuclear Renaissance is here. For too long, we’ve watched other states and nations invest in the energy technologies of tomorrow while we debate whether to even begin. That changed this week with the Energy Committee passing House Bills 4124-4129 with a bipartisan vote. With this legislation, Michigan isn’t just opening the door to advanced next generation nuclear technology—we’re knocking it off its hinges and inviting the world’s brightest minds to join us.

This plan is more than a set of policies—it’s a blueprint for leadership. It provides a research and development tax credit to spur innovation in small modular reactor technology, an energy source that is safe, reliable, and essential to a secure energy future. It invests in our people by funding higher education grants that help Michigan’s colleges and universities develop specialized training programs. It supports the workers who complete these programs, offering them grants to stay, grow, and thrive in Michigan. And it ensures that the companies pushing the boundaries of what’s possible don’t just develop their breakthroughs here—they manufacture, refine, and deploy them here, through a production tax credit that keeps Michigan at the center of this renaissance.

This isn’t just an energy bill. It’s a declaration of intent. A statement that Michigan will not just participate in the future of energy—we will define it. With this plan, we’re fostering long-term job growth, strengthening our energy security, and attracting investment that will transform communities across the state. And we’re doing it together—Republicans and Democrats, the business community and labor groups, universities and entrepreneurs—because that’s what leadership looks like.

The Great American Nuclear Renaissance has begun, and Michigan is leading the way.

State Rep. Pauline Wendzel is the Chairwoman of the Michigan House Energy Committee and proudly serves Michigan’s 39th House District.