Westinghouse reactor fleet deployment will create more than $1T in U.S. gross domestic product

A new study by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC has found that the deployment of 10 AP1000 advanced modular reactors from Cranberry Township, Pa.-based Westinghouse Electric Company would have an $1 Trillion impact on the nation’s economy.

According to the study, the construction phase of a 10-unit AP1000 fleet would generate more than $92.8 billion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the country, and support 44,300 high-paying jobs annually for 13 years. Once the units are operational, the 10-unit fleet would create another $1.03 trillion of GDP over its 80-year lifetime and support 22,500 jobs annually.

“As the only fully licensed, construction-ready advanced reactor available today, the proven AP1000 modular technology is the quickest way to unleash commercial nuclear power in the U.S. to drive our nation’s AI dominance globally,” Dan Sumner, Interim CEO of Westinghouse, said. “This report highlights that work to deploy a 10-unit AP1000 fleet can begin immediately, creating long-term economic benefits as well as high-paying, highly skilled jobs for generations to come.”

The study also found the 10 units could power at least 7.5 million homes. The construction phase alone of a 10-unit AP1000 fleet would create $54.7 billion in labor income and $20.1 billion in tax revenues, while the fleet’s operations phase would support $329 billion in labor income and $271 billion in tax revenues over its 80-lifespan. An AP1000 fleet would strengthen the country’s nuclear workforce of highly skilled roles in engineering, manufacturing and construction.

Currently, there are six AP1000 reactors setting operational performance and availability records worldwide with an additional 14 reactors under construction and five more under contract. The AP1000 reactor is the only operating Generation III+ reactor with fully passive safety systems and modular designs on the market.