The inaugural Energy and Innovation Summit convened by US Senator David McCormick at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburg saw key nuclear announcements by Constellation and Westinghouse.
The event was attended by President Donald Trump and key members of his administration, including Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum as well as leaders across the energy and tech sectors, including Blackrock, First Energy, ExxonMobil, Constellation, EQT and more.
While the focus was on AI, energy and investment, nuclear developments were not ignored.
Constellation CEO Joe Dominguez announced a $2.4bn investment to achieve a 340 MWe uprate of Limerick NPP. The boiling water reactors (BWRs) are rated at just above 1,150 MWe. He added that the company would accelerate the restart of the Crane Clean Energy Centre, which is now expected to return to service in 2027, a year ahead of schedule. The plant will operate into the 2050s and add approximately 835 MWe to the grid in Pennsylvania. The project will also create 3,400 jobs, deliver $3.6bn in tax revenue and add $16bn to the state’s GDP.
Constellation has also asked the Nuclear regulatory Commission to renew the operating licence of the Peach Bottom Clean Energy Centre to run until at least 2054, resulting in approximately 30m person-hours of work over two decades and providing electricity valued in the tens of billions of dollars.
Finally, Constellation is planning to operate the Limerick Clean Energy Center well into the 2040s and announced a $2.4bn investment to achieve a 340 MWe uprate to the two boiling water reactors (BWRs) currently rated at just above 1,150 MWe.
“These investments will help power innovation in AI and other industries that will define the future for Pennsylvania and all Americans,” said Dominguez. “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. Constellation’s acquisition of Calpine will further accelerate our investments.”
President Trump announced a Westinghouse new commitment to build 10 new AP1000 reactors, which the company aims to have under construction by 2030. Westinghouse says this will create $75bn in economic impact and will create 15,000 new jobs.
Westinghouse hopes to achieve this through a new partnership with Google Cloud that was also announced during the summit. The collaboration hopes to use AI tools to increase efficiency in the construction of AP1000 reactors by creating a streamlined, repeatable process.
Trump also said that his Executive Orders have made nuclear construction “very easy and very safe”. He noted the challenges of upgrading the ageing grid, the potential for co-locating generating stations with data centres, and the accelerating and reform of permitting for nuclear and non-nuclear energy projects. He promised: “A lot more is going to be announced in the coming weeks” for energy and AI.
