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White House Nuclear Push Draws Safety Warnings as $80 Billion Westinghouse Plan Advances

Critics say profit-sharing tied to federal permitting risks eroding NRC independence.

Overview

  • The reported agreement would see the U.S. arrange financing and expedite permits for Westinghouse AP1000 projects totaling about $80 billion.
  • The structure offers the government a path to 20% of future profits and a potential 20% equity stake if Westinghouse exceeds a $30 billion valuation by 2029.
  • The White House said safety fears are unfounded, asserting that the regulatory regime remains unchanged by the deal.
  • TD Cowen analysts told clients they expect as many as 10 large Westinghouse reactors to be under construction by 2030, reflecting anticipated power demand from data centers.
  • Experts cite Westinghouse’s Vogtle overruns, AP1000 modular build issues, climate-related cooling constraints, and workforce limits as execution risks to rapid deployment.