United States announces the largest nuclear deal in decades under Trump's presidency
The Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, welcomed the decision: "Trump promised a nuclear energy renaissance, and now he's delivering."
The agreement stipulates that the State will obtain a 20% share in Westinghouse's cash distributions above USD 17.5 billion, as compensation for financing and permits.
The United States government signed a historic agreement for USD 80 billion to expand nuclear energy and support the growth of artificial intelligence (AI). The alliance, announced by Westinghouse this Tuesday, also involves Brookfield Asset Management and Cameco, owners of the company.
The main objective is to accelerate the deployment of new nuclear reactors and ensure the electricity supply for the technological boom driving cloud computing, data centers, and AI applications.
This is the most important nuclear agreement since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. According to Westinghouse, the government will finance the construction of new reactors within the framework of the executive order signed in May, which sets the goal of having ten large reactors under construction by 2030.
The Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, stated that the plan "embodies President Trump's vision of restoring energy sovereignty, creating well-paid jobs, and placing the United States at the forefront of the nuclear renaissance."
The push comes after years of stagnation: The United States hasn't inaugurated a new nuclear power plant since 2009, and the last two reactors cost more than twice what was planned. Now, the Department of Energy will seek to reverse that trend with the installation of Westinghouse AP1000 and AP300 models in different parts of the country.
The measure is part of an energy agenda aimed at reducing dependence on foreign sources after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and ensuring stability in the face of the increased electricity demand caused by AI.
Technology companies such as Google and Microsoft have also announced similar nuclear investments, seeking clean and constant energy to power their data centers.
The new plants will be privately owned, according to Brookfield, but will have state incentives and a reduced bureaucracy: the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) must approve the projects in less than 18 months, a record time compared to the years the process usually takes.
The plan is part of Trump's strategy to double the country's electricity capacity, boost the national industry, and strengthen the United States' position in the global competition for artificial intelligence.
