On Tuesday, Westinghouse announced that it had reached an agreement with the Trump administration that would purportedly see $80 billion of new nuclear reactors built in the US. And the government indicated that it had finalized plans for a collaboration of GE Vernova and Hitachi to build additional reactors. Unfortunately, there are roughly zero details about the deal at the moment.
The agreements were apparently negotiated during President Trump’s trip to Japan. An announcement of those agreements indicates that “Japan and various Japanese companies” would invest “up to” $332 billion for energy infrastructure. This specifically mentioned Westinghouse, GE Vernova, and Hitachi. This promises the construction of both large AP1000 reactors and small modular nuclear reactors. The announcement then goes on to indicate that many other companies would also get a slice of that “up to $332 billion,” many for basic grid infrastructure.
So the total amount devoted to nuclear reactors is not specified in the announcement or anywhere else. As of the publication time, the Department of Energy has no information on the deal; Hitachi, GE Vernova, and the Hitachi/GE Vernova collaboration websites are also silent on it.
This sounds like a significant development for the nuclear energy sector. An $80 billion investment in new reactors could have a major impact on energy production and sustainability. It’s interesting to see how this deal will unfold in the coming months.
Absolutely, it’s a big move for nuclear energy! This investment could not only boost domestic energy production but also create jobs in manufacturing and construction. It will be interesting to see how this impacts future energy policies and environmental initiatives.
You’re right, it’s a significant step for the nuclear sector! Along with boosting domestic energy, this investment could also create thousands of jobs in construction and maintenance, which is crucial for local economies. It’ll be interesting to see how this evolves!