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Cooling towers and reactors 3 and 4 are seen at the nuclear-powered Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Waynesboro, Georgia, U.S. Aug. 13, 2024. 

Megan Varner | Reuters

Expanding two power plants in Georgia and South Carolina with big, new reactors was supposed to spark a “nuclear renaissance” in the U.S. after a generation-long absence of new construction. 

Instead, Westinghouse Electric Co.’s state-of-the-art AP1000 design resulted in long delays and steep cost overruns, culminating in its bankruptcy in 2017.  The fall of Westinghouse was a major blow for an industry that the company had helped usher in at the dawn of the nuclear age. It was Westinghouse that designed the first reactor to enter commercial service in the U.S., at Shippingport, Pennsylvania in 1957. 

Two new AP1000 reactors at Plant Vogtle near Augusta, Georgia started operating in 2023 and 2024, turning the plant into the largest energy generation site of any kind in the nation and marking the first new operational nuclear reactor design in 30 years. But the reactors came online seven years behind schedule and $18 billion over budget.

In the wake of Westinghouse’s bankruptcy, utilities in South Carolina stopped construction in 2017 on two reactors at the V.C. Summer plant near Columbia after sinking $9 billion into the project. 

But today, interest in new nuclear power is reviving as the tech sector seeks reliable, carbon-free electricity to power its artificial intelligence ambitions, especially against China. Westinghouse emerged from bankruptcy in 2018 and was acquired by Canadian uranium miner Cameco and Brookfield Asset Management in November 2023

The changed environment means South Carolina sees an opportunity to finish the two reactors left partially built at V.C. Summer eight years ago. The state’s Santee Cooper public utility in January began seeking a buyer for the site to finish reactor construction, citing data center demand as one of the reasons to move ahead.

“We are extraordinarily bullish on the case for V.C. Summer,” Dan Lipman, president of energy systems at Westinghouse, told CNBC in an interview. “We think completing that asset is vital, doable, economic, and we will do everything we can to assist Santee Cooper and the state of South Carolina with implementing a decision that results in the completion of the site.”

Tech as a nuclear catalyst

The United States has tried to revive nuclear power for a quarter century, but the two reactors in Georgia mark the only entirely new construction across that period despite bipartisan support under every president from George W. Bush to Donald Trump.

A fresh start was supposed to have begun more than a decade ago, but was choked off by a wave of closures of older reactors as nuclear struggled to compete against a boom of cheap natural gas created by the shale revolution.

“We went from an environment in the aughts of rising gas imports and rising gas prices to fracking technology unlocking quite a bit of affordable natural gas here in the U.S., and companies didn’t really value the firm clean attribute of nuclear back then,” said John Kotek of the Nuclear Energy Institute, an industry lobby group, and former assistant secretary at the Office of Nuclear Energy under President Barack Obama.

What’s different in 2025 is the tech sector’s voracious appetite for power translating into a willingness to pay a premium for nuclear. But recent investments in nuclear have focused on restarting abandoned reactors and attempting to bring online smaller, next-generation modular reactors that many believe are the future, if they can be designed and built more cheaply.

The troubled nuclear plant at Three Mile Island near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that almost melted down in 1979 is expected to resume operations in 2028 after owner Constellation Energy struck a power purchase agreement with Microsoft last September. Constellation wants to restart Unit 1, which shut for economic reasons in 2019, not the Unit 2 reactor that was the site of the accident.

Alphabet and Amazon invested in small nuclear reactors a month later. Meta Platforms, owner of Facebook and Instagram, asked developers in December to submit proposals for up to 4 gigawatts of new nuclear power to meet the energy needs of its data centers.

But while the recent focus in the U.S. has been on restarts and commercializing small reactors, Lipman said the extent of potential demand that has emerged from data centers over the past year has led to renewed interest in Westinghouse’s large AP1000 reactor design.

In any event, there are no operational small reactors in the U.S. today, though startups and industry stalwarts, including Westinghouse, are racing to commercialize the technology. And there only so many shuttered plants in the U.S. in good enough shape to potentially be restarted.

Gargantuan undertaking

Meanwhile, meeting the demand for power is a gargantuan undertaking. Meta’s need for new nuclear power, for example, is nearly equivalent to the entire 4.8 gigawatts of generating capacity at the Vogtle plant, enough to power more than 2 million homes and businesses. Large nuclear plants with a gigawatt or more of capacity — the size of the AP1000 — will be essential to power large industrial sites like data centers because of their economies of scale and low production costs once they’re up and running, according to a recent Department of Energy report.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp called for another reactor at Vogtle the same day he dedicated the plant expansion in May 2024. Southern Company CEO Chris Womack believes at least 10 gigawatts of large nuclear are needed. Southern is the parent company of Georgia Power which operates Vogtle.

“The people that are going to own and operate AP1000s traditionally are investor-owned electric utilities,” Lipman said. “When they look at the marketplace for a large reactor, AP1000 is where they turn because it’s got a license, it’s operational.”

Still, nobody in the U.S. is on the verge of signing an order for a new AP1000, he said. Westinghouse is focused on deploying reactors in Eastern and Central Europe, where nuclear projects are seen as a national security necessity to counter dependency on Russian natural gas after the invasion of Ukraine.

FILE PHOTO: In this Sept. 21, 2016, file photo, V.C. Summer Nuclear Station’s unit two’s turbine is under construction near Jenkinsville, S.C., during a media tour of the facility.

Chuck Burton | AP

In addition to the two units in Georgia, Westinghouse also has four operational reactors in China.

But South Carolina’s search for someone to complete the partially built reactors at V.C. Summer will likely draw investment from Big Tech “hyperscalers” building data centers, and large manufacturers like the auto industry, Lipman said.

“That kind of asset attracts industry that relies on 24/7, 365 energy and that’s what you get with an AP1000,” Lipman said. There are ongoing discussions within the industry about whether the tech sector might act as a developer that invests capital in the upfront costs of building new plants, he said.

What went wrong in the South

Any attempt to build new AP1000s in the U.S. again will almost certainly meet with skepticism after the experiences in South Carolina and Georgia.

Lipman said the challenges that the AP1000 construction faced in the South have been resolved. Back then, Westinghouse agreed to the projects before the reactor design was complete, and supply chains weren’t fully formed due to a long period in which U.S. construction was dormant, he said.

“One big lesson learned, maybe the big lesson learned, is designs need to be complete before they hit the field, meaning they have to be shovel ready,” Lipman said. The design for the AP1000 is complete and Westinghouse has its supply chain in place, he said.

“We have winnowed over our list of suppliers,” Lipman said. “They are supporting us globally, and so it’s really easy then to have them make more equipment for deployment.”

“You’re getting economies of scale,” he said.

Why the U.S. has a hard time building nuclear reactors

Ironically, given the overruns in Georgia, the original aim of AP1000 was reduce costs by creating a standardized design that requires less construction materials compared to older reactor types, Lipman said. Components of the plant are prefabricated before being assembled on site, he said.

“You basically assemble, kit-like, major portions of the plant in a modular fashion, a bit like aircraft and submarines are done,” Lipman said. “That was not fully shaken out completely at the Vogtle site.”

The Department of Energy under the Biden administration argued in a September report that future AP1000 builds should be less expensive because they won’t incur costs associated with the first-of-a-kind project in Georgia. Support from the department’s loan office, tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act, and shorter construction timelines would substantially reduce costs, according to the report.

Trump plans for nuclear

While President Donald Trump is supportive of nuclear, it’s unclear whether the industry will receive support through DOE loans and the investment tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Those tools were pillars of the Biden administration’s plan to help reduce the cost of new AP1000s.

Trump issued an executive order on his first day in office that directed federal agencies to remove obstacles to development of nuclear energy resources. The same order, however, paused all spending under the IRA. Two weeks later, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright made commercializing “affordable and abundant nuclear energy” a priority in a Feb. 5 order.

US Energy Sec. Chris Wright on natural gas reduction, nuclear energy and more

“The long talked about nuclear renaissance is finally going to happen, that is a priority for me personally and for President Trump and this administration,” Wright told CNBC in a Feb. 7 interview. Wright was previously a board member of Oklo, a nuclear startup that aims to disrupt the status quo of the industry by deploying micro reactors later this decade.

Wright emphasized commercializing small reactors and said private capital would drive the construction of new plants. Before the November election, Trump was skeptical of building large reactors, citing the cancelled project in South Carolina.

“They get too big and too complex and too expensive,” he told Joe Rogan in an October interview.

Lipman said the first Trump administration was pro-nuclear, and he expects the president will support the industry in his second term.

“If there’s going to be gigawatt scale deployment in the U.S., decision making needs to accelerate,” Lipman said. “The business model, the investment climate, any legislative changes that might be in the offing at the state level or the federal, now is the time to address those pertinent issues.”

— CNBC’s Gabriel Cortes contributed to this report.

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Genesis quietly dropped this EV from its US lineup

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August 6, 2025

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Genesis quietly dropped this EV from its US lineup

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The Genesis Electrified G80 will no longer be sold in the US. Genesis has already pulled the luxury EV sedan from its website.

Genesis pulls the Electrified G80 EV from its US lineup

The Electrified G80 went on sale in the US in the first half of 2023, but has struggled to gain any momentum. Last year, Genesis introduced an updated model with longer range, more interior space, and added luxury, claiming it’s now at the flagship level.

Those in the US may never get to see it. Genesis has already removed the Electrified G80 from its website, with only the GV60 and Electrified GV70 now listed.

The luxury car maker confirmed to Car and Driver on Wednesday that the electric G80 sedan is no longer being offered in North America.

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Genesis explained that “the customer is at the core of every decision we make, and we remain flexible as we adapt to ever-changing consumer needs and market conditions.”

Genesis-G80-EV-US
Genesis Electrified G80 updated model (Source: Hyundai)

The 2024 Electrified G80 was the final model year, and the 2025 version was never sold in the US. Powered by an 87 kWh battery, the Electrified G80 was rated with an EPA-estimated range of 282 miles. Although the updated model boasted a larger battery (94.5 kWh) with increased range (up to 295 miles) in Korea, it still falls short of rivals like the Lucid Air or Tesla Model S.

Genesis sold just 397 models in 2024 and another 77 in the first half of 2025. In comparison, Lucid sold over 5,000 Air sedans in H1, while Tesla has sold 2,715 Model S sedans in the US.

Genesis-Electrified-G80-interior
The interior of the new Genesis Electrified G80 update (Source: Hyundai)

Although Korean automakers, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis, dodged the maximum 25% tariff, they will still face a 15% duty on imported vehicles. As its slowest-selling EV, it’s no surprise to see Genesis dropping it from its lineup.

With the $7,500 federal tax credit expiring at the end of September, Genesis is pushing big discounts on its remaining EV models.

Genesis is offering an $18,000 EV Lease Bonus on the 2025 Electrified GV70 and $13,750 bonus for the 2025 GV60. Leases currently start as low as $389 per month.

Looking to test one out for yourself? You can use our links below to view 2025 Genesis GV60 and Electrified GV70 models in your area.

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Bluetti’s new Elite 30 V2 288Wh station gets first savings starting from $199, Segway F3 smart eKickScooter $750, NIU e-scooter sale, more

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August 6, 2025

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Bluetti's new Elite 30 V2 288Wh station gets first savings starting from 9, Segway F3 smart eKickScooter 0, NIU e-scooter sale, more

Headlining today’s Green Deals is the first discount hitting Bluetti’s new Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station, which also has an additional solar bundle offer starting from $199. We also spotted the first post-tariff discount from Segway on its new Ninebot F3 Electric KickScooter to $750, as well as NIU’s Fan-tastic Day Sale that is taking up to 42% off its KQi lineup of scooters, including the KQi 300X All-Terrain Suspension Electric Scooter that is back at the best price of 2025 for $750, among others. We also have a new low price on Greenworks’ 82V Commercial 20-inch Cordless Chainsaw kit and a one-day-only discount on Worx’s 12A 7.5-inch Edger/Trencher, and more waiting for you below. Plus, all the hangover savings are at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Anker SOLIX Summer Power Sale offers, Ride1Up’s increased e-bike savings, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Get up to $200 in first savings on Bluetti’s new Elite 30 V2 portable 288Wh LiFePO4 power station starting from $199

Back on Friday, Bluetti launched its new Apex 300 Versatile Power Station with up to $3,150 in exclusive savings that has had fans of the brand buzzing, while also eclipsing another new and more compact release. Now, with its latest Solar Generator Sale, Bluetti is cutting the cost on its Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station to $199 shipped, with that price matching at Amazon for Prime members, bringing it down from the $299 price tag. It just hit the market at the top of the month, but as I said, its release was overshadowed by the larger and more expansive Apex 300 unit and its bundles. You can score a $100 markdown now, though, which sets the bar for future discounts, with a solar bundle option for this model that tacks on a 100W panel for $398 shipped, down from $598.

While larger solar generator setups can help through many situations, more and more people are finding convenience in owning smaller backup power solutions, especially here in NYC, with many folks having limited space to keep them. That’s where units like Bluetti’s Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station come in, which offers a 288Wh LiFePO4 capacity to cover personal device charging with 600W of steady output that can ramp as high as 1,500W.

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Bluetti’s Elite 30 V2 power station has nine different port options to cover all the bases: two AC outlets, two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, two DC ports, and a car port. It even beats out many counterparts/competitors of the same size range with five ways to recharge its battery: via a standard outlet, utilizing up to a max 200W solar input, using both an outlet and solar panels together, connecting a generator, or using your car’s auxiliary port.

You can get the full rundown on Bluetti’s other new and more expansive release, the Apex 300 Versatile Power Station with up to $3,150 in exclusive savings across several bundle options – all starting from $1,439.

man riding down street on Segway Ninebot F3 Electric KickScooter

Segway’s Ninebot F3 smart eKickScooter with Apple Find My + proximity locking gets first post-tariff cut to $750

Segway is offering a special promotional discount through August 17 on its new Ninebot F3 Electric KickScooter at $749.99 shipped, after using the code F3AUG100OFF at checkout, which beats out Amazon’s pricing by $50.This model launched back in April carrying a $850 original price tag (which Amazon still keeps it listed for) and has since hiked up to a $1,000 MSRP direct from the brand after May’s tariff hikes. The two pre-tariff discounts we saw took the costs down to $700 and $600 back in April, and while it may not be falling that low any anytime soon again, you’re still looking at a solid $100 savings from its starting rate for the third-lowest price we have tracked.

If you want to learn more about this model, be sure to check out our original coverage of this ongoing deal here.

man standing on NIU KQi 300X all-terrain suspension electric scooter

NIU drops the KQi 300X all-terrain e-scooter with a 37-mile range and regen brakes to $750 in latest sale

NIU has launched its Fan-tastic Day Sale through August 17 that is taking up to 42% off its KQi e-scooter lineup. Some of the brand’s models are still out of stock from last month, but among those still available, we spotted the KQi 300X All-Terrain Suspension Electric Scooter at $749.99 shipped, while also matching in price at Amazon. While it carries a $1,299 MSRP normally, at Amazon we’ve been seeing it mostly staying between $1,049 and $1,198, with discounts having been slowly ramping up over the course of the year. You’re looking at the best price of 2025, which saves you $549 off the MSRP and has only been beaten out by the $731 low we last saw pop up in October 2024.

If you want to learn more about this model or the other e-scooter deals, be sure to check out our original coverage of this sale here.

man uses Greenworks 82V 20-inch cordless chainsaw to fell tree

Add commercial-grade power to your arsenal with Greenworks’ 82V 20-inch cordless chainsaw at a new $430 low

Amazon is now offering the Greenworks Commercial 82V 20-inch Cordless Chainsaw for $429.99 shipped. While it carries a $600 MSRP tag directly from the brand, where it’s currently priced at, we’ve seen it keep lower to $500 at Amazon. It’s been on the market for six months now, with the discounts we’ve spotted only taken the costs down to $450 until today. Now, with the 20% markdown here, you’ll save $70 while equipping your arsenal with commercial-grade power.

If you want to learn more about this commercial-grade chainsaw, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here.

Worx's 12A 7.5-inch Lawn Edger/Trencher creating perfect line into lawn

Keep uniform lines around yard and gardens with Worx’s 12A 7.5-inch edger/trencher at $90 (Today only)

As part of its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is offering the Worx 12A 7.5-inch Edger/Trencher for $89.99 shipped, with this model being out of stock on Amazon and sitting at a higher $140 MSRP directly from Worx’s website. It normally fetches $130 at full price here, with discounts mostly keeping the costs between $110 and $100 during 2025, though we have seen it go as low as $75 during Prime Day. You’re looking at the fourth-lowest overall price that we have tracked and the third-lowest of the year, with the deal today saving you $40 off the going rate for the rest of the day only.

If you want to learn more about this edger/trencher, be sure to check out our original coverage of this one-day-only deal here.

Best Summer EV deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

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Ford officially opens its new EV design center where its midsize electric pickup will come to life

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August 6, 2025

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Ford officially opens its new EV design center where its midsize electric pickup will come to life

Ford-EV-design-center

Ford’s secret “skunkworks” team in California is no longer a secret and has grown significantly over the past year. Filled with former Tesla, Rivian, and Apple engineers, Ford has given the team a new, two-building EV design center to develop its upcoming lower-cost, midsize models.

Ford opens its new EV Design Center in Long Beach

The new campus in Long Beach, California, officially opened its doors on Tuesday. Ford told reporters that the new 250,000-square-foot site will become the company’s main design and innovation hub in Southern California.

Although the facility was built 95 years ago to expand production of Ford’s first vehicle, the Model A, it was later converted for military use during World War II.

Now, it will be used to shape the future of Ford. Ann Diep, a senior technical program manager at Ford, said the company will “develop a new generation of electric vehicles people are going to love” at the facility.

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After nearly a decade of launching products for Apple, Diep is now tasked with developing Ford’s new lineup of electric vehicles.

The team is led by Alan Clarke, who worked at Tesla for over a decade. Clark’s team comprises former employees from Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, and Apple, creating an EV platform that will power Ford’s upcoming lineup of smaller, more affordable models.

Ford-EV-design-center
Ford opens new EV design center in Long Beach, California (Source: Ford)

Benchmarking EV leaders to cut costs

Last year, Ford’s CEO, Jim Farley, said the team was benchmarking costs “against the best competitors in the world,” in particular, Chinese brands.

According to Farley, the first EV based on the platform will be a midsize electric pickup that will “match the cost structure of Chinese OEMs building in Mexico.” It’s scheduled to launch in 2027. Ford will use LFP batteries to reduce costs, which will be manufactured at its new battery plant in Michigan, but licensed from China’s CATL.

Ford-EV-design-center
2025 Ford F-150 Lightning (Source: Ford)

We learned the platform will support eight different body styles, including trucks, crossovers, SUVs, and possibly sedans.

During a “candid dinner discussion” with lead Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska in June, Lisa Drake, Ford’s vice president of tech platform programs and EV systems, offered a few insights.

Ford-EV-design-center
Ford Mustang Mach-E (left) and F-150 Lightning (right) (Source: Ford)

Roeska told investors (via Axios) that “Lisa Drake was explicit: Ford intends to match the cost structure of leading Chinese players.” The memo added “that means not just battery pricing, but full system cost from chassis and thermal systems to inverters and electronics.”

Ford will reveal more about its “plans to design and build a breakthrough electric vehicle and platform in the US,” on August 11.

Farley is hyping it up as the company’s next “Model T moment,” adding that it’s “a chance to bring in a new family of vehicles” that will shape the future of Ford.

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