US companies Blue Energy and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH) have signed an agreement that launches the next phase of their collaboration to deploy a 2.5 GW gas-plus-nuclear power plant in Texas.

A statement said the agreement advances engineering design, licensing, and safety analysis of the Victoria, Texas, project that will deploy both GE Vernova gas turbines and GVH BWRX-300 small modular reactors (SMRs), subject to a final investment decision in 2027.

Blue Energy said the agreement represents a significant step forward for its pairing of natural gas and nuclear generation to help meet surging US electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing.