Michael Cuviello
Updated Aug 21, 2025
The story has been updated with additional information
Fermi America announced Thursday, Aug. 21 it is partnering with Westinghouse Electric Company to advance licensing for four AP1000 nuclear reactors at its HyperGrid campus in Amarillo, a project that could make the Texas Panhandle a focal point for the next wave of U.S. nuclear power.
The companies will work together to finalize the Combined Operating License Application submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on June 17 and guide the federal review process. They also plan to develop a long-term deployment strategy, with the first reactor targeted for operation by 2032.
Fermi America co-founder Toby Neugebauer said the partnership supports the national push to expand nuclear energy. He added that Amarillo’s proximity to the Pantex plant and the skilled energy workforce in West Texas and across the Panhandle make the site “a premier place to build safe, new nuclear power.”
Fermi America’s Chief Nuclear Construction Officer Mesut Uzman called the agreement a “critical milestone,” citing Westinghouse’s record with AP1000 reactors worldwide. “Their technical excellence and proven delivery give us confidence in achieving regulatory clearance and deploying the reactors efficiently and safely,” Uzman said.
Westinghouse officials stressed the AP1000’s readiness for deployment. “As the only fully licensed, construction-ready Generation III+ reactor available today, the AP1000 technology is well-positioned to power next-generation AI data centers,” said Dan Lipman, president of energy systems for Westinghouse.
The AP1000 design features fully passive safety systems, modular construction, and the smallest footprint per megawatt among large-scale reactors. Six units are operational worldwide — four in China and two in the U.S. — with 12 under construction and five under contract. Programs in Poland, Ukraine and Bulgaria have also selected the technology, with other sites under consideration in Europe and North America.
But the project faces hurdles. The AP1000’s rollout in the U.S. has been marked by delays and budget overruns, most notably at Georgia’s Vogtle Units 3 and 4, which were completed seven years late and $17 billion over budget. Fermi America and Westinghouse say they plan to leverage lessons learned from those projects to meet the Amarillo site’s 2032 goal while addressing regulatory and economic challenges.
