The Molinaroli College of Engineering & Computing at the university of South Carolina Presents

The 2nd Annual SC Nuclear Summit

Thank you to everyone who made the 2025 event a huge success.

We will see all of you — and more — in 2026.

Quotes

Photos

Videos

Speakers & Panelists

Highlights from our 2nd annual SC Nuclear Summit

The impact of the summit extended well beyond the arena. Members of Congress, state legislators, agency officials, and industry leaders actively shared summit coverage and remarks across social media, amplifying the message that South Carolina is at the center of America’s nuclear resurgence

New Economic Impact Study

During the summit, Westinghouse Electric Company announced the release of a new independent economic impact study, prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), detailing the benefits of completing the two partially built AP1000® advanced modular reactors at V.C. Summer.

Economic Impact Study

Governor McMaster captured the significance of the moment:

“South Carolina is number one in the nation in nuclear assets and promise. We are launching the nuclear renaissance of America.”

— South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster

One of the most widely cited moments from the summit came from Brookfield Asset Management, financier of the V.C. Summer restart. Speaking from the main stage, Managing Partner Mitch Davidson called the project:

“A bit of a no-brainer.”

— Managing Partner Mitch Davidson

Rep. Russell Fry reinforced the project’s potential and its impact on South Carolina
as a national leader:

“America is reclaiming its leadership in advanced nuclear, and South Carolina is leading the charge. The nuclear renaissance is underway, and the proposed completion of V.C. Summer is only the beginning.”

— U.S. Congressman Russell Fry

PNC Founder Ethel Bunch emphasized the local and regional impact:

“From thousands of high-skilled construction jobs to long-term careers in engineering, operations, and maintenance, this project is creating a lasting economic engine that powers local communities with stable careers and sustained growth.”

— PNC Founder Ethel Bunch

Westinghouse Interim CEO Dan Sumner highlighted South Carolina’s leadership opportunity:

“The two AP1000 units at V.C. Summer would generate lasting economic benefits for the state, creating thousands of high-paying, highly skilled jobs while supporting the future expansion of South Carolina’s industrial base.”

— Westinghouse Interim CEO Dan Sumner

On Tuesday, December 9, the University of South Carolina’s Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing hosted the 2nd Annual South Carolina Nuclear Summit, in partnership with Santee Cooper and the Palmetto Nuclear Coalition. The summit marked a defining moment in South Carolina’s emergence as a national leader in nuclear energy, infrastructure, and investment.

Date:

Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025

Location:

Colonial Life Arena

Thank you to our sponsors.

Premier Sponsor

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Sessions

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8:15 AM – 8:45 AM | Welcome & Opening Remarks

Ethel Bunch, Founder, Palmetto Nuclear Coalition
Dr. Hossein Haj-Hariri, Dean, USC Molinaroli College of Engineering & Computing
US Congressman Russell Fry (SC-7)

WATCH → Welcome | Opening Remarks

8:45 - 9:15 AM Fireside Chat

Moderator: Rick Lee, Chair, Governor’s Nuclear Council

Speakers:
David Wright, Chairman, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The Honorable Tom Davis, Member of the South Carolina Senate

WATCH → Fireside Chat

9:30 AM – 9:45 AM | Opening Keynote — South Carolina’s Energy Vision and National Leadership

Speaker:
Governor Henry Dargan McMaster, Governor of South Carolina

How South Carolina is leading America’s energy dominance, national security, and global competitiveness through strategic investment, innovation, and workforce development.

WATCH → Opening Keynote - South Carolina’s Energy Vision and National Leadership

9:45 AM – 10:30 AM | South Carolina’s Response: The Catalyst for America’s Nuclear Resurgence

Moderator: Hilary Lane, Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships at Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)

Speakers:
Jimmy Staton, President & CEO, Santee Cooper
Peter McCoy, Chairman, Santee Cooper Board of Directors
Speaker Murrell Smith, South Carolina House of Representatives
John Cogan, Partner, Centerview Partners

Overview: Discussion on how V.C. Summer is one of America’s most consequential energy projects and establishes South Carolina as the catalyst for building out a national AP1000 fleet, responding to President Trump’s Executive Order Executive Order 14299 by accelerating deployment timelines, strengthening domestic manufacturing, and positioning the state as the launch point for the nation’s Ten-Reactor Vision.

WATCH → South Carolina’s Response: The Catalyst for America’s Nuclear Resurgence

10:45 AM – 11:30 AM | New Partnerships to Drive the Nuclear Resurgence

Moderator: Jamie Smyth, US Energy Editor, Financial Times

Speakers:
Mitch Davidson, Managing Partner, Renewable Power & Transition Group, Brookfield
Luca Oriani, President, Westinghouse Electric Company

Overview: This panel will explore how this federal-enabled, private-sector-led partnership is reshaping the economics and perception of nuclear power—positioning the United States not only to meet its domestic energy needs but to lead the world in next-generation nuclear technology, manufacturing, and export capability.

Key Themes:

U.S. Policy Framework and Public-Private partnerships
Hyperscalers and manufacturing leading the drive for Utilities to take another look at nuclear
Nuclear Energy as a Pillar of National Security and Global Competitiveness

WATCH → New Partnerships to Drive the Nuclear Resurgence

11:30 AM – 12:00 PM | AI & Innovation —
Powering the Next Generation of Nuclear

Moderator: Meg Kinnard, National Politics Reporter, The Associated Press

Speakers:
Scott Sidener, Chief Engineer - Digital, Data & Artificial Intelligence, Westinghouse
Raiford Smith, Global Head, Power and Energy for Cloud, Google

Overview: A focused conversation on the Westinghouse–Google AI Partnership and how advanced digital tools, data analytics, and AI innovations are reducing costs, shortening project timelines, and strengthening grid reliability for next-generation nuclear deployment.

WATCH → AI & Innovation - Powering the Next Generation of Nuclear

12:00 PM – 1:30 PM | Lunch, Sponsored by Westinghouse

12:00 PM- 12:30 PM Lunch Buffet Line Opens

12:30 PM - 12:45 PM PwC Embargoed Release of Economic Development and Workforce Impact Findings for VC Summer

Presenter: Richard Snook, Director, PwC Canada

12:45 PM - 1:30 PM South Carolina Local Vendors Supporting Nuclear Revitalization

Moderator:
Sara Hazzard, Incoming President & CEO, South Carolina Manufacturers and Commerce

Speakers:
Boyd Blanchard, President and CEO, Blanchard Machinery
Greg Thompson, Founder, President and CEO, Thompson Construction Inc.
Jimmy Gibbs, Founder and CEO, Gibbs International
Chad Eaton, Director, Governmental Affairs, Nucor
Dr. Tim Hardee, President of the SC Technical College System; Statewide Workforce Development Authority

Overview: This panel highlights the critical role South Carolina’s industrial base will play in driving the nation’s nuclear revival featuring leading CEOs whose companies form the backbone of the state’s energy, construction, and manufacturing ecosystem. Panelists will speak to supply chain readiness, workforce capabilities, and how local vendors can scale to meet the demands of advanced nuclear deployment—particularly at VC Summer.

WATCH → South Carolina Local Vendors Supporting Nuclear Revitalization

1:30 PM – 2:15 PM | | University of South Carolina Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing World Class Nuclear Innovation Center

Introduction: Allen Klump

Moderator: Allen Klump, Executive Director, Palmetto Nuclear Coalition

Speakers:
Dr. Hossein Haj-Hariri, Dean, USC Molinaroli College of Engineering & Computing
Alex Molinaroli, Former CEO, Johnson Controls; Founder, MCEC Endowment
Dr. Travis Knight, Professor & Director, USC Nuclear Engineering Program

Four Pillars of Innovation:

Large Reactors & Grid Infrastructure Renewal
SMRs for Industrial Decarbonization
Microreactors for Defense & Critical Infrastructure
Fuel-Cycle R&D, Recycling & Actinide Sciences

WATCH → University of South Carolina Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing World Class Nuclear Innovation Center

2:15 PM - 3:00 PM | Nuclear Power for National Defense: SMRs, Microreactors, Data Centers, & Mission Readiness

Moderator: Cristina Long Paredes, Executive Director, SC Nexus

Speakers:
Vice Admiral Paul Gaffney, USN (Ret.), former Navy Research Chief and current Advisor Dean of Engineering, University of South Carolina
Jeff Uphues, CEO, DC Blox
Jordan Bramble, CEO, Antares
Jim Blankenhorn, Senior Vice President, Amentum
Jonathan Stephens, Core Design Manager, Advanced Technologies, BWXT

Overview: Examining how advanced microreactors, SMRs, and the nuclear fuel cycle are transforming national security, powering defense installations, enhancing grid resilience, and strengthening America’s energy independence.

WATCH → Nuclear Power for National Defense: SMRs, Microreactors, Data Centers & Mission Readiness

3:00 PM – 3:30 PM | Policy, People, Partnerships, and Technology

Moderator: Mike Stake, President and CEO, Metatomic

Speakers:
Dr. Travis Knight, Professor & Director, USC Nuclear Engineering Program
Dr. Lindsay Shuller-Nickles – Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences, Clemson University
Dr. Musa Danjaji, Musa Danjaji, Ph.D. Professor and Chair, Department of Engineering Academic Program Coordinator, Nuclear Engineering Program South Carolina State University
Ken Canavan, President, E4Carolinas

Overview: What essential conditions—policy, people, partnerships, and technology—must be in place for the U.S. to deploy the next generation of microreactors, SMRs, and advanced fuel cycle technologies?