Blue Energy and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH) have agreed to advance engineering, licensing and safety work for a proposed 2.5 GW gas-plus-nuclear power plant in Victoria, Texas.
The companies are targeting a final investment decision in 2027. If developed as planned, gas generation would begin supplying a nearby data centre in 2030, followed by nuclear capacity from 2032.
Blue Energy is developing the project using two GE Vernova 7HA.02 gas turbines alongside up to five GVH BWRX-300 small modular reactors (SMRs). The initial phase would provide about 1 GW from the gas turbines, with a further 1.5 GW eventually supplied by the SMRs.
The project is intended to address rapidly growing US electricity demand from data centres, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing while combining fast-deploying gas generation with longer-term nuclear baseload capacity.
The agreement marks a move beyond the project’s initial concept towards detailed engineering and regulatory work. Blue Energy is also applying its prefabrication and modular construction approach, known as the “Blue Way”, to the nuclear portion of the development.
The company argues that manufacturing reactor components away from the site and assembling larger modules closer to construction should make project schedules and costs more predictable than conventional nuclear construction.
“This agreement with GE Vernova Hitachi keeps Blue Energy confidently moving forward to build our nuclear energy production line,” said Jake Jurewicz, Blue Energy CEO and co-founder. He said the company was moving away from the traditional approach to large-reactor construction towards a “financeable, repeatable product”.
The proposed combination reflects a broader effort by power developers to match different generation technologies with the timing of new electricity demand. Gas turbines can be deployed ahead of the nuclear units, while the SMRs would ultimately provide additional firm generation without relying on intermittent renewable output.
Eric Gray, CEO of GE Vernova’s Power segment, said the collaboration combines the company’s HA gas turbine technology with GVH’s SMR technology.
“Meeting the surging demand for electricity requires proven, scalable technologies and the ability to bring them together as integrated solutions,” he said.
The BWRX-300 technology is already moving into construction at Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington site in Canada. That project is expected to be completed before the end of the decade.
For the Texas development, however, significant milestones remain before construction can begin, including licensing, safety analysis, permitting, financing and the 2027 investment decision.
