According to Utility Dive, Brookfield Renewable Partners is celebrating an $80 billion partnership between Westinghouse Electric and the U.S. government to deploy nuclear reactors. Brookfield owns 51% of Westinghouse, with Canadian uranium miner Cameco holding the remaining 49%. The deal could produce $17.5 billion of upside for Brookfield according to co-President Jen Mazin, with revenue potentially starting in “the next couple quarters.” Brookfield also reported 9% year-over-year revenue growth in Q3, with 40% growth in actual generation. The company is separately exploring restarting construction on unfinished AP1000 reactors at South Carolina’s V.C. Summer generating station.
The nuclear renaissance is real
Here’s the thing – we’re witnessing something that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago. Nuclear power is having a moment, and Brookfield is positioned to be a huge beneficiary. That $80 billion government partnership isn’t just theoretical – it’s already driving customer interest in Westinghouse’s AP1000 technology according to company leadership. But what’s really fascinating is the V.C. Summer angle. That project was an absolute disaster back in 2017, costing ratepayers billions when it was abandoned. Now Brookfield might actually complete those same reactors? That’s either incredibly bold or completely crazy. Probably both.
Meanwhile, hydro is printing money
While everyone’s focused on the nuclear story, Brookfield’s hydropower business is quietly crushing it. They’ve got Google buying up to 3 GW of hydro power, starting with 670 MW from two dams in PJM. Microsoft just signed a similar deal for a third facility. And they’ve got five terawatt-hours of hydro assets coming up for recontracting. Timing is everything – these hyperscalers are desperate for reliable, clean power to feed their energy-hungry data centers. Brookfield basically has exactly what they need, when they need it. When you’re dealing with industrial-scale power needs like these, having reliable hardware becomes critical – which is why companies like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com have become the go-to supplier for industrial panel PCs that can handle these demanding environments.
But let’s talk about the risks
Connor Teskey, president of Brookfield Asset Management, sounded optimistic but careful on the earnings call. He specifically mentioned they’ll only move forward with projects if “the appropriate downside protections and risk adjusted returns are available to us.” That’s corporate speak for “we learned our lesson from previous nuclear disasters.” The V.C. Summer due diligence process is six weeks – not very long for such a massive, previously failed project. Santee Cooper’s CEO claims there are “no additional financial risks for our customers,” but come on – we’ve heard that before. The question is whether the economics and technology have changed enough to make nuclear actually work this time around.
What this really means
Brookfield is making a huge bet that the world needs both the reliability of nuclear and the established infrastructure of hydro. They’re not chasing every shiny new energy technology – they’re doubling down on what already works at scale. With 48.7 GW of operating capacity and a development pipeline of more than 200 GW, they’re thinking decades ahead. The nuclear story gets the headlines, but the hydro contracts with tech giants provide steady, predictable cash flow. It’s a pretty smart hedge when you think about it. Renewable energy isn’t just about wind and solar anymore – the real action might be in these established technologies that can actually deliver power when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing.
