Westinghouse is in discussions with U.S. officials and industry partners to build 10 large nuclear reactors. This move aligns with President Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at sparking a revival of American nuclear energy.
The Pennsylvania-based company is among the few Western firms capable of designing and constructing reactors that produce around 1,000 megawatts each—enough to power over 500,000 homes.
The executive orders, issued on May 23, set ambitious goals: quadrupling U.S. nuclear capacity by 2050, starting construction on 10 reactors by 2030, and speeding up regulatory approvals.
These directives have triggered a rush among developers and utilities to accelerate plans and access billions in expected federal incentives. The nuclear energy sector has seen stock prices hit record highs this month, anticipating a construction boom.
Dan Sumner, Westinghouse’s interim CEO, said the company is well-positioned to meet these goals. Westinghouse has an approved reactor design, a reliable supply chain, and recent experience building two AP1000 reactors in Georgia.
He emphasized active engagement with the administration, including loan program offices, highlighting the importance of financing for these projects.
The company believes it can deliver all 10 reactors using its AP1000 design. Customers, including major tech firms and suppliers, are collaborating to plan deployment. According to the U.S. Department of Energy and investment bank TD Cowen, constructing 10 reactors could cost about $75 billion, excluding potential delays or overruns.
Westinghouse, owned by private equity firm Brookfield and uranium miner Cameco, has successfully deployed AP1000 reactors in the U.S. and China. Additional plants are under construction or contracted in Poland, China, Ukraine, and Bulgaria.
The company faces limited competition domestically, as global leaders like Russia’s Rosatom and China General Nuclear Power Group are unlikely to secure contracts due to geopolitical issues. GE Vernova, partnered with Hitachi, focuses on smaller modular reactors rather than large ones, and other foreign firms have limited or no recent U.S. large reactor experience.
Experts note that building 10 large reactors is ambitious and challenging. The U.S. electricity market does not always guarantee cost recovery, and local utilities and state commissions must approve investments, which complicates new nuclear projects.
Past delays and cost overruns at Georgia’s Vogtle plant, where two AP1000 reactors more than doubled their $14 billion estimate, have dampened enthusiasm.
Sumner said lessons learned from those projects have been incorporated, and Westinghouse now has a frozen design and modular construction experience to improve future builds.
While large reactors are the focus, small modular reactors (SMRs) are also being considered. SMR developers propose co-locating multiple smaller units to match the output of large plants while reducing construction risks and costs.
Companies like NuScale and Holtec International have designs approved by regulators and plan to compete with large reactors by offering simpler, less expensive alternatives.
The success of Westinghouse’s $75 billion expansion plan depends on securing financing, regulatory approvals, and investments from utilities and tech companies willing to back large-scale nuclear projects.
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