Westinghouse plans to build 10 nuclear reactors by 2030

Westinghouse plans to build 10 large nuclear reactors in the U.S., with construction beginning by 2030, interim CEO Dan Sumner announced to President Trump during a Pittsburgh roundtable. The ambitious project would generate $75 billion in economic value nationwide and $6 billion specifically for Pennsylvania, marking a significant expansion of nuclear power infrastructure amid Trump’s push to quadruple U.S. nuclear capacity by 2050.

What you should know: Each AP1000 reactor generates enough electricity to power more than 750,000 homes, representing substantial clean energy capacity.

• The announcement came during a conference on energy and artificial intelligence at Carnegie Mellon University, where executives revealed over $90 billion in combined investments for data centers and power infrastructure.
• Sen. Dave McCormick, a Pennsylvania Republican, organized the event, highlighting the intersection of energy needs and AI development.

Why this matters: The U.S. has built only two new nuclear reactors in the past 30 years, both Westinghouse AP1000s at Plant Vogtle in Georgia.

• That project came in $18 billion over budget and seven years behind schedule, ultimately contributing to Westinghouse’s bankruptcy.
• Trump issued four executive orders in May aimed at quadrupling nuclear power by 2050, calling for 10 nuclear plants under construction and ordering a “wholesale revision” of Nuclear Regulatory Commission rules.

The big picture: Westinghouse emerged from bankruptcy in 2018 and is now owned by Cameco, a Canadian uranium miner, and Brookfield Asset Management.

• The company announced a partnership with Google on Tuesday to use AI tools to make AP1000 construction an “efficient, repeatable process.”
• This represents a strategic effort to address the cost overruns and delays that plagued previous nuclear projects.

Key details: The timeline aligns with Trump’s nuclear expansion goals, which call for significant regulatory reform to accelerate project approval and construction.

• The proposed reactors would substantially increase U.S. nuclear capacity, supporting both clean energy goals and the growing power demands of AI data centers.
• Pennsylvania stands to benefit significantly from the economic impact, with $6 billion in projected value creation within the state.