10 nuclear reactors to power 500,000 US homes with 1,000MW output

The article discusses Westinghouse’s plan to deploy 10 large-scale nuclear reactors in the US, each with a 1,000 MW output, aiming to power approximately 500,000 homes. This initiative aligns with former President Donald Trump’s executive orders issued in May 2023, which call for quadrupling US nuclear capacity by 2050 and initiating construction of 10 full-sized reactors by 2030. Westinghouse, leveraging its AP1000 pressurized water reactor design—already licensed and operational globally—is positioned as the primary candidate to fulfill this mandate. The company highlights its modular construction expertise, a stable supply chain, and lessons learned from previous projects, including the Vogtle site in Georgia and deployments in China, as key advantages. Discussions with the US Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office are ongoing to secure necessary financing. The estimated cost for building these reactors could reach $75 billion, excluding potential overruns, which remains a significant hurdle given the US utilities’ cautious stance after past cost escalations. Westinghouse faces limited competition in the large reactor market due to political and strategic factors sidelining foreign vendors and other domestic companies focusing on small modular reactors (SMRs). Meanwhile, SMR developers like NuScale and Holtec International are gaining attention by promoting smaller, modular units that can be co-located to match the output of large reactors with potentially lower costs and faster construction timelines. Despite the executive order’s emphasis on large reactors, SMRs are emerging as a competitive alternative in the evolving US nuclear energy landscape.