Westinghouse and University of South Carolina Partner to Advance Nuclear Workforce Development

Agreement will explore opportunities to build the nuclear workforce needed to support fleet deployment of AP1000® reactors in the U.S. through USC's planned Nuclear Innovation Center

Columbia, S.C., September 29, 2026 - Westinghouse Electric Company and the University of South Carolina (USC) are partnering to create a multidisciplinary nuclear workforce development program to support U.S. fleet deployment of AP1000® plants. The new program will be centered at the USC Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing's planned Nuclear Innovation Center.

Associate Deputy Secretary of Energy and Senior Advisor to the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy Alex Fitzsimmons, USC President Michael Amiridis, Westinghouse President of New Plant Delivery Luca Oriani, Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing Dean Hossein Haj-Hariri and former Chairman and CEO of Johnson Controls Alex Molinaroli attended a memorandum of understanding signing for the agreement today at the Third Annual South Carolina Nuclear Summit in Columbia.

"President Trump's historic executive orders have laid the foundation for a new era of American nuclear energy, and we must build the workforce capable of turning that vision into reality," said U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy James P. Danly. "This is why investments in workforce development like the partnership between Westinghouse and the University of South Carolina are so important. These collaborations will build the talent base needed to support new nuclear construction, strengthen our domestic supply chain and ensure that American families have high-paying jobs for generations to come."

"We look forward to collaborating with Westinghouse to develop workforce education opportunities for our students as we plan for our proposed Nuclear Innovation Center at the University of South Carolina," said USC President Michael Amiridis. "This partnership between higher education and industry promises to strengthen South Carolina's leading role in the future of nuclear energy for our state and nation."

"While South Carolina is already a strong nuclear state, this strategic partnership between USC and Westinghouse will position the state as a national leader," said Luca Oriani, President of Westinghouse New Plant Delivery. "This collaboration will support high-paying jobs and economic growth across South Carolina while strengthening and further developing the workforce needed to deliver the next generation of nuclear power plants and meet the rising demand for electricity."

"South Carolina has an extraordinary opportunity not only to build nuclear plants, but to build the workforce, intellectual property, supply chain and innovation ecosystem that will support America's next generation of nuclear deployment," said Ethel Bunch, President and CEO of the Palmetto Nuclear Coalition. "This partnership between Westinghouse and the University of South Carolina is exactly the kind of collaboration we need to turn that opportunity into action - connecting industry, higher education and workforce development to create capabilities here in South Carolina that can serve a national fleet of new nuclear plants."

"By combining our strengths in education and research with Westinghouse's industry expertise, and by collaborating with educational, industry and government partners statewide, we can expand hands-on learning and workforce development opportunities to prepare students and professionals for nuclear sector careers," said Hossein Haj-Hariri, Dean of the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing. "Together, we are building an ecosystem that supports the growth of talent, innovation and next-generation nuclear technologies in South Carolina."

The partnership will explore opportunities to create a first-of-its-kind nuclear training center to develop and prepare all workforce disciplines for a large-scale national deployment of new nuclear power plants. Potential training capabilities being discussed include:

• State-of-the-art digital AP1000 simulators that can train plant operators and university students in a replica control room that simulates the operating conditions of a plant. The AP1000 advanced modular reactor is the only proven Generation III+ technology available today, delivering 1.150 gigawatts of electricity, which is enough to power 750,000 U.S. homes.

• Unique hands-on construction labs to provide craft, construction and maintenance training and to develop new and advanced technologies through digital work packages, wearables, AR/VR and AI-enabled execution.

• A multidisciplinary certificate program for mechanical, electrical, industrial and civil engineering students pursuing careers in the nuclear energy sector.

The Nuclear Innovation Center is a major new initiative for USC aimed at positioning South Carolina as a national leader in nuclear energy research, innovation, partnership and workforce development. The center will create a model for developing the skilled talent and technology infrastructure required by the nuclear energy industry and strengthen South Carolina's ability to compete for nuclear and technology-driven economic development.

Westinghouse has maintained a significant presence in South Carolina for more than five decades. The company employs more than 2,200 people across the state, including at its Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility, one of the largest nuclear fuel manufacturing facilities of its kind. In addition to fuel fabrication, Westinghouse supports new plant deployment, engineering, information technology, and outage and maintenance services from locations across South Carolina, contributing to the state's leadership in nuclear energy and advanced manufacturing.

Photo caption: Associate Deputy Secretary of Energy Alex Fitzsimmons, Westinghouse President of New Plant Delivery Luca Oriani, USC President Michael Amiridis and U.S. Representative Russell Fry at the memorandum of understanding signing between Westinghouse and USC at the Third Annual South Carolina Nuclear Summit in Columbia.