Blue Energy and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy are advancing plans for a 2.5 gigawatt gas and nuclear power complex in Victoria, Texas.

The ambitious project would combine GE Vernova 7HA.02 gas turbines with BWRX 300 small modular reactors to supply dependable electricity for data centers and other intensive loads.

The companies have signed an agreement covering engineering, licensing, and safety analysis as the development enters a more detailed phase.

Blue Energy is targeting a final investment decision in 2027, setting up a phased construction program that could begin delivering power before the nuclear units are completed.

Under the current schedule, approximately 1 gigawatt would enter service by 2030 through two GE Vernova 7HA.02 gas turbines.

That initial capacity is intended to serve a nearby data center while establishing an operating asset, grid access, and an early source of project revenue.

Nuclear generation would follow beginning in 2032, with as many as five BWRX 300 reactors adding approximately 1.5 gigawatts.

If fully developed, the Victoria site would reach 2.5 gigawatts of installed capacity and become a significant demonstration of integrated gas and nuclear generation.

The deliberate sequencing addresses a central challenge facing large power developments.

Gas turbines can generally be installed and commissioned faster than nuclear plants, while reactor licensing, specialized construction, regulatory reviews, and component procurement require longer and less flexible schedules.

Bringing the gas plant online first could provide immediate commercial value while nuclear work proceeds at the same location.

It could also secure the transmission position and supporting infrastructure needed for the later reactor units, reducing uncertainty surrounding eventual nuclear integration.

GE Vernova's 7HA.02 is an established heavy duty gas turbine platform recognized for combined cycle efficiency, output, and operating flexibility.

Its role in Victoria reflects growing interest in using proven turbomachinery as the foundation for generation portfolios that must provide both dependable capacity and responsive dispatch.

The BWRX 300 is a 300 MWe boiling water small modular reactor developed by GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy.

Its design uses passive safety features and substantial system simplification compared with conventional boiling water reactors, with the goal of reducing construction complexity, plant footprint, and capital exposure.

The first BWRX 300 is under construction at Ontario Power Generation's Darlington site in Canada. Commissioning is expected before the end of the decade, and successful operation there would provide a crucial commercial and technical reference for later projects, including the proposed Victoria development.

For turbomachinery engineers, the Texas concept presents important questions involving shared balance of plant equipment, steam systems, cooling resources, electrical infrastructure, and plant controls.

Dispatch coordination will be particularly important because flexible gas turbine generation must operate alongside nuclear units designed to provide sustained output.

Blue Energy is also promoting a construction strategy it calls the "Blue Way."

The approach emphasizes offsite fabrication, modular assembly, and carefully coordinated logistics to improve schedule certainty while limiting expensive field construction and reducing the financial risks associated with conventional nuclear development.

"We are shifting from the old way of building large reactor nuclear power to instead do it the 'Blue Way' that slashes costs and time to power and finally makes nuclear a financeable, repeatable product," said Jake Jurewicz, Blue Energy chief executive and cofounder.

The strategy draws from modular execution methods already used in offshore oil and gas projects and liquefied natural gas facilities.

Shop fabrication can improve quality control, move labor into more predictable environments, and allow site preparation to proceed at the same time as major assemblies are manufactured elsewhere.

Blue Energy was founded in 2023 and has roots in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Nuclear Science and Engineering Department.

Its investors include VXI Capital, Engine Ventures, At One Ventures, and Tamarack Global, providing backing for a development model focused on repeatable nuclear deployment.

GE Vernova Power segment chief executive Eric Gray described the collaboration as combining "GE Vernova's flagship HA gas turbine technology with GE Vernova Hitachi's advanced nuclear SMR technology" to deliver "reliable baseload power at the scale and speed customers need."

That objective is becoming more urgent as artificial intelligence infrastructure and advanced manufacturing drive sharp growth in constant electricity demand.

The Victoria project could provide an early template for power sites where gas turbines deliver speed and flexibility while nuclear reactors provide sustained output.

Its progress will be watched closely for evidence that modular construction, shared infrastructure, and phased financing can turn complex hybrid plants into commercially repeatable assets.