By Ron Weddington, Staff Reporter
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The Atom Returns to Beaver County
America’s next industrial revolution sounds like a hum instead of a boom, and if you listen closely, it’s powered by the atom — and by Westinghouse Electric Co., headquartered in Cranberry Township. The company that built the world’s first commercial nuclear power plant in Shippingport in 1957 is once again at the center of a new energy era driven by data centers, AI, and electrification.
The New Nuclear Rush
“We’ve never seen electricity demand like this,” said Jacques Besnainou, Westinghouse’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer. “In the U.S., we’re going from megawatts to gigawatts — and we’re doing it fast.”
That surge isn’t coming from households but from massive server farms and cooling systems powering the AI economy. Westinghouse plans to build at least ten new AP1000 reactors by 2030 — the only operating Generation III+ reactor design on the market — positioning the Pittsburgh region at the forefront of a global nuclear renaissance.
Steel, Steam, and AI
The region that once forged steel is now shaping the next frontier: nuclear energy for data, hydrogen, and manufacturing. “We need to harness the strategic assets we already have — our supply chains, our innovation ecosystem, our workforce,” said Stefani Pashman of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. Companies like Kerotest and North American Forge Masters are standing by, ready for consistent demand to sustain this new atomic age.
Beaver County’s Place in the Chain
Beaver County remains at the core of nuclear power. Home to the Beaver Valley Power Station in Shippingport, the county still hums with the legacy of Westinghouse’s innovation. Vistra, the plant’s owner, aims to balance reliability with cost, while local trades keep the region’s industrial rhythm alive. As State Rep. Rob Matzie of Ambridge noted, “We know how to build it. We can get folks in and out of a site. That’s a huge selling point.”
Building on the Bones of the Past
Beaver County’s brownfields and former coal sites offer ready-made foundations for new nuclear and data infrastructure. “They already have the infrastructure, and that brings down the cost,” said Femi Omitaomu of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. It’s a fitting return — the landscapes that once powered steel and coal may soon drive a nuclear-digital future.
A Workforce Ready to React
The county’s proven capacity for megaprojects, like Shell’s $6 billion petrochemical plant, showcases its skilled workforce and logistical muscle. With union labor and new training programs through the Allegheny Conference and local colleges, Beaver County is preparing the next generation for nuclear work — hard hats today, radiation badges tomorrow.
From Shippingport to the Future
Westinghouse’s next decade could bring Beaver County full circle — from the molten steel of Aliquippa to the cooling towers of Shippingport. As AI and industry demand cleaner power, the county’s infrastructure, workforce, and history make it a natural anchor for America’s nuclear revival.
Energy built Beaver County once. It might just do it again.
By the Numbers
- 1957: Shippingport Atomic Power Station goes online — the world’s first commercial reactor
- 10: New AP1000 reactors Westinghouse plans to start by 2030
- $14 billion: Estimated cost of a new full-scale plant
- 10,000: Peak workers on a typical reactor project
- 6: Operating AP1000 reactors worldwide (4 in China, 2 in Georgia)
