Southern Company CEO sees more industry nuclear commitments in US by 2030

(Reuters) -Power provider Southern Company CEO Chris Womack said on Monday he expects more industry commitments to build gigawatt-scale light water nuclear reactors in the U.S. before 2030.

Southern Company began commercial operations on its Vogtle 4 reactor this year as part of the first nuclear power plant to be constructed in the country in more than 30 years.

"You're seeing them now show up in a number of integrated resource planning processes," Womack said at the American Nuclear Society conference in Las Vegas. "The question becomes: is there willingness to push through?"

Womack said he expected announced plans in 2027 or 2028 to construct similar reactors, which are larger than the advanced small modular reactors that have not yet been built in the country, although he did not specify which companies would make the announcements.

(Reporting by Laila Kearney and Seher DereenEditing by Marguerita Choy)