Friday, 18 July 2025
Westinghouse plans to start construction of the first of ten new AP1000 reactors in the USA by 2030, interim CEO Dan Sumner told President Donald Trump at the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy Summit and Expo in Pittsburgh.
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Four executive orders signed by President Trump on 23 May aim to support the entire US nuclear supply chain and the ambition to quadruple the nation’s nuclear energy capacity by 2050. Three of the orders are firmly focused on reforms that will boost the civil nuclear energy sector. The fourth one aims to ensure the rapid development, deployment, and use of advanced nuclear technologies to support national security objectives, including AI data centres at Department of Energy facilities.
Hosted by US Senator David McCormick, the Pennsylvania Energy Summit and Expo on 15 July highlighted the state’s significant role in shaping the future of AI and energy innovation. Dan Sumner, interim CEO of Pittsburgh-headquartered Westinghouse, took part in a CEO Roundtable attended by President Trump, top Administration officials, including US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum.
“We’ve taken the call-to-action under your executive order to partner with companies across our industry to mobilise a plan to deliver ten AP1000 reactors in the US with construction to begin by 2030,” Sumner said. “When we deploy a fleet aligned to your vision, we’ll drive USD75 billion of economic value across the United States with USD6 billion of value here in Pennsylvania. Implementing your vision will create or sustain over 55,000 jobs across the country and over 15,000 jobs in the Commonwealth alone, and these are great jobs across manufacturing, engineering and construction.”
The event showcased a USD92 billion commitment to cutting-edge AI and energy initiatives.
Utility Constellation announced that it will create 3,000 jobs per year as a result of a USD2.4 billion investment to uprate the Limerick nuclear power plant by an additional 340 MWe.
“We commend state and federal leaders for helping to make these investments possible and for recognising the unique value of reliable and safe nuclear energy to power our economy and bolster our nation’s energy security,” said Constellation President and CEO Joe Dominguez.
“As the nation’s second largest energy producer and a global nuclear power leader, Pennsylvania is uniquely positioned to deliver the abundant, affordable energy that growing AI and advanced manufacturing sectors demand,” said Senator McCormick. “We have the skilled workforce to build and operate this critical infrastructure, world-class universities driving innovation, and strategic proximity to over half the country’s population.”
