Nuclear energy today offers enormous potential. Not only to deliver clean, reliable power but to strengthen national security, deepen industrial capability, and expand long‑term economic opportunity. Realizing that potential requires partnerships that are more than transactional. It takes collaboration between governments, across industries, and among allies willing to commit to each other for decades. 

That type of partnership is exactly what the United States and Poland are building. Last week, more than 25 Polish supplier CEOs arrived in Washington for the Poland Trade Mission, jointly organized by the Nuclear Energy Institute and Poland’s Chamber of Power Industry and Environmental Protection. Led by Polish Deputy Minister Wojciech Wrochna and PEJ CEO Marek Woszczyk, the delegation met with the White House National Energy Dominance Council, senior U.S. government leaders, members of Congress, and our teams at Westinghouse and Bechtel. 

What is important to highlight is that these were not routine business meetings. These are the companies that will form the backbone of Poland’s emerging nuclear industry, meeting the policymakers and partners who will help them build it. The level of engagement reflects a deeper truth: Poland is not simply purchasing a power plant. It is establishing an entirely new industrial sector, anchored in U.S. partnership and designed for long‑term national resilience. 

Localization as the Cornerstone of Energy Independence 

From the outset, Westinghouse and Bechtel have shared a single objective with PEJ: to deliver three advanced AP1000® modular reactors while simultaneously building the skills, institutions, and supply chain that allow Poland to own its nuclear future. Localization is not a side effort, it is central to how this program strengthens Poland’s energy independence. 

Through our Supplier Days series, we have engaged with more than 700 Polish companies, providing hands‑on training and guidance on the rigorous standards required for nuclear construction. Westinghouse is also partnering with major Polish firms to certify them under the ASME NQA‑1 quality assurance standard, enabling them not only to contribute to this project but to join the global AP1000 supply chain for future deployments across Europe and worldwide. 

Workforce development is equally critical. Westinghouse and Bechtel directly employ more than 500 Polish professionals, while partnerships with the Warsaw University of Technology, Gdańsk University of Technology, the University of Gdańsk, and the National Centre for Nuclear Research are cultivating the next generation of Polish nuclear engineers, researchers, and companies. 

This is what energy independence looks like: a program built with Polish hands, powered by Polish expertise, and sustained by a long‑term industrial ecosystem that remains in Poland long after construction is complete. 

Applying Proven Experience to Accelerate Poland’s Program 

The Poland-U.S. partnership is grounded in proven delivery. At Plant Vogtle in Georgia, we completed the first new nuclear units built in the United States in more than three decades. The second AP1000 unit was constructed 30 percent more efficiently than the first, a demonstration of what disciplined execution, repeatable processes, and experienced teams can achieve. 

That experience is already shaping work in Poland. Agreements this year with Arabelle Solutions for steam turbine generators and with Polish firm DORACO for civil preparation work mark major milestones. Financing is advancing as well: PEJ and the U.S. Export-Import Bank signed the first direct loan agreement between EXIM and a Polish entity, a clear sign of long-term U.S. support for Poland’s energy goals. 

Under our Engineering Development Agreement, progress continues across design, licensing, geological surveys, and early procurement — the quiet, essential work that sets the foundation for successful construction. 

Building More Than a Power Plant 

Much work remains and the Poland-U.S. collaboration is proving something vital: that when governments, industries, and allied nations align, nuclear projects move from aspiration to construction to long-term energy security. 

The Trade Mission last week is an expression of that model — suppliers engaging early, learning what it takes to participate, and preparing to join a generational national investment. 

What we are building in Poland is far more than the nation’s first nuclear plant. It is the foundation of a new industry. It is a path to lasting economic and energy independence. And it is a template for how the global nuclear renaissance will be built, partner by partner, milestone by milestone, nation by nation. 

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At one of the largest semiconductor plant construction projects in the United States, safety is the first order of business — every single morning. Before any tool is lifted, teams gather to talk through what work is planned, what hazards exist, and whether every person on that crew is prepared for the day ahead.

For decades, this process relied on paper forms, and they served the work well. As projects grew in scale and complexity — with larger, more diverse workforces and conditions that changed hour by hour — the need for faster, clearer, and more connected information became essential. Paper-based forms were vulnerable to weather and handling, handwriting wasn’t always easy to interpret, and information was typically reviewed after the fact, limiting real-time insight for supervisors. Updates could take weeks to make their way back to the field, and the valuable data captured in thousands of daily safety conversations often remained stored rather than actively used to inform future decisions.

We saw this an opportunity to rethink how we approached this process: moving from paper to a digital, field‑driven mobile application that improves understanding, visibility, and responsiveness in real time.

Why Modern Safety Requires More Than Compliance

Today’s construction jobsites are dynamic environments — workforces are multilingual, conditions shift hourly, and the consequences of missed hazards are immediate. In that environment, a safety process that produces paperwork but not insight is only doing half its job.

The challenge on complex projects has never been a lack of commitment to safety. It has been giving our field teams tools that match the complexity of the work. A paper card filled out in a staging area, translated by a crew member, and collected at end of day belongs to a different era of construction.

The difference between a paper form and a connected digital system is the difference between compliance and insight — insight that enables timely action and materially improves safety outcomes.

Five Ways Digital Hazard Assessments Improve Safety & Performance

Working alongside craft professionals, we developed a Digital Field Level Hazard Analysis app that allows crews to complete assessments where the work is happening, make real-time updates as conditions change, and automatically save entries with electronic signatures for accountability. This tool improves performance in five important ways.

1. Higher-quality inputs with less friction. Voice-to-text capability allows crew members to describe hazards verbally — with their gloves on. Guided workflows ensure nothing critical gets skipped. The result is more accurate, more complete assessments — not because we added requirements, but because we removed obstacles.
2. Real-time visibility for field leaders. Geo-location technology displays completed assessment on a live site map. Supervisors can see where the work is happening, identify where active hazards have been flagged, and direct oversight where it is needed most — in real time, not after the fact.
3. Smarter workforce readiness. The app integrates directly with Bechtel’s training and qualification data. Before work begins, supervisors can see whether crew members have the certifications required for their assigned tasks — including whether training records are outdated or expired. Gaps that previously only surfaced after an incident now surface before the work starts.
4. Instant agility when requirements change. Under the paper system, even a minor update required redesigning, printing, and distributing thousands of assessment cards — a process that could take weeks. With the digital tool, updates are live across the site by the following morning. That responsiveness has been one of the most significant drivers of field adoption, reinforcing that feedback leads to action.
5. Stronger communication across a diverse workforce. On this project, a predominantly bilingual workforce meant critical safety conversations often depended on working with a translator. The digital tool’s instant English–Spanish toggle removes that dependency, allowing every crew member to engage with hazard assessments in the language they are most comfortable using. Consistency, clarity, and inclusion are now built into the system itself.

A Key Shift in How We Use Safety Data

What surprised me most about this initiative was not any individual feature. It was what the data made possible.

Paper hazard assessments were compliance records. Once collected, they went into physical storage. Now, every submission — including free-form descriptions entered by crew members — becomes searchable and analyzable. Using advanced analytics tools, teams can review entries across thousands of daily assessments and identify patterns that would have been difficult to notice on paper: recurring hazard types by work area, gaps between planned and actual risk, crew composition trends that signal where additional oversight or training may be needed.

The automated supervisor dashboard has changed how our field leadership engages with safety information. Insights that once took weeks to compile are now available daily. We are moving from a reactive safety model toward one that supports earlier awareness and more informed intervention.

A Scalable Model for the Industry

As more organizations begin to digitize hazard assessments, speed alone isn’t the differentiator. The real opportunity comes from integration — connecting daily field‑level safety conversations with training records, qualification data, real‑time location, and advanced analysis in a single workflow. The result is a system that does more than document hazards. It helps teams recognize and address risks earlier.

This value becomes most evident in environments defined by extraordinary scale, compressed schedules, and significant workforce complexity. Tools that perform well in these conditions can scale across energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing projects.

The future of construction will belong to companies that connect people, data, and field execution in real time. That is where Bechtel is investing — and how the next era of safety leadership will be defined.

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Nearly one billion people worldwide lack reliable, year-round access to education, healthcare, and markets because of a simple infrastructure gap: rivers made impassable by seasonal rains. In rural communities across East Africa, this means children miss school for months, families risk their lives to reach medical care, and local businesses lose income.

Since 2016, Bechtel has partnered with Bridges to Prosperity (B2P), a nonprofit that builds trail bridges in rural areas across Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Uganda, giving communities year-round access to essential services. Together, B2P and Bechtel have completed eight bridges in Rwanda, serving more than 32,000 people. Each year, Bechtel volunteers donate their time and expertise, working alongside local residents, to make these projects possible.

The partnership combines B2P’s community-centered development model with our project delivery expertise and safety culture, strengths we have refined through decades of delivering complex infrastructure worldwide. In addition, Bechtel Group Foundation has contributed more than $335,000 in the partnership to date, supporting project selection, technical reviews, construction, and community engagement.

By the Numbers: Bechtel’s Impact with B2P

Delivering sustainable infrastructure in remote environments

In November 2025, a team of 15 Bechtel volunteers — representing 11 different projects, six global business units, and 10 nationalities — spent two weeks working alongside 41 local residents to build the Mutovu Trail Bridge. At 120 meters (393 feet), it’s the longest suspended bridge in Rwanda’s Southern Province and now provides nearly 5,000 residents in the Munini and Muganza communities with safe, reliable access across the Giswi River. The bridge replaces a structure destroyed by climate change-induced flooding in 2019, restoring a connection the communities had relied on for years.

The technical scope was substantial, totaling 360 meters of steel decking, one kilometer of 1.25-inch steel cable secured with 1,440 bolts, 240 pieces of rebar, and 220 cubic meters of rock backfill. All materials were transported from nearby roads and constructed by hand in challenging terrain. The project also required detailed planning and sequencing work, such as setting the steel cables at the precise tension needed to span 120 meters safely, to ensure the bridge’s structural integrity and to remain on schedule.

Safety shaped every decision. On the first day, Bechtel volunteers learned three important Kinyarwanda phrases — hagarara (stop), tugende (go), and buhroro (slowly) — to move a 160-meter cable across the river. Experienced volunteers trained local workers, many of whom were using power tools and personal protective equipment for the first time, in proper safety practices. Together, the team also developed creative solutions, like using sailing knots to pull heavy steel cables across the river, eliminating the need for team members to enter the water. These efforts helped the team complete the project with zero incidents.

Strengthening communities through shared purpose

Through B2P projects, Bechtel and community teams build more than bridges; they help expand local capabilities. Local residents gain hands-on experience with construction techniques and safety practices that prepare them to maintain the bridge for decades. In turn, Bechtel volunteers have the opportunity to manage diverse teams, adapt to resource constraints, and learn from local residents in a setting where impact is immediate and long-lasting.

Working shoulder to shoulder with residents reinforced a shared sense of purpose. Each morning of the Mutovu build began with traditional Rwandan dancing and team stretches. This routine built trust and strengthened collaboration. Throughout the project, the team functioned as one integrated unit — a hallmark of Bechtel’s “one team” approach to project delivery.

The Mutovu team also contributed to the community in other ways. They visited a nearby school serving approximately 1,000 students, where they donated more than 1,000 items (including calculators, soccer balls, and books) to support local education. The team also provided personal protective equipment from our projects and an automated external defibrillator to enhance safety practices for future projects in the region.

Infrastructure that endures

The best infrastructure projects solve more than technical problems. They connect people to opportunity, build local capabilities, and demonstrate how collaboration between skilled teams and committed communities creates lasting impact. This was evident at the Mutovu Bridge inauguration, where government leaders, B2P representatives, and more than 300 community members came together to celebrate the bridge and the renewed access to education, markets, and healthcare it provides.

As we look toward our ninth bridge build in 2026, we remain focused on what these bridges make possible: stronger communities, expanded economic opportunity, and a future where safe access is never out of reach.

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But as Bechtel has shown, with the right experience and expertise, it’s not impossible.

Bechtel’s Environmental & Security business line has successfully integrated digital tools into government construction programs, while upholding the highest standards of safety and security. This work demands not only a deep understanding of government safety regulations but also the ability to design practical innovations and adapt commercial technologies to meet the rigorous requirements of high-security environments.

A Track Record of Government Partnership

For 77 years—over half our 127-year history—Bechtel has partnered with the Department of Energy and its predecessor agencies on complex, mission-critical work. We’ve delivered nuclear plants, managed national laboratories, and overseen the construction, cleanup, and decommissioning of hazardous waste sites.

That experience has given us a keen understanding of government safety standards—something embedded into our DNA since the 1930s, when we adopted Edward Bullard’s new hard hat on the Hoover Dam and became one of the first contractors to require it companywide. It was also on display in the early days of Bechtel when our founder, Warren Bechtel, oversaw the addition of steam shovels and tractors—relatively new innovations at the time—to tackle some of the toughest jobs in construction, with techniques that delivered better results.

Today, that same mindset—and commitment to compliance—sharpens our ability to anticipate customer needs and identify where new technologies can deliver real value by helping us design, build, and operate more efficiently. We do this in two main ways: by using our institutional knowledge to develop proprietary digital solutions, and by tailoring existing commercial innovations to meet the demands of high-security environments.

Setting Industry Standards Through Proprietary Solutions

Our resolve to always find a better way has driven us to develop our own proprietary innovations. In the 1980s, for example, Bechtel created Setroute—software that translates complex electrical drawings into clear instructions for the field. Before Setroute, electricians had to work this out by hand, which caused errors and costly rework. With Setroute, installation became faster, more accurate, and more efficient—years ahead of the rest of the industry.

Today, we’re still building tools to make work more efficient. One of the best examples is the evidence identification system, developed for our work at the Uranium Processing Facility (UPF) at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Nuclear projects like UPF require extensive compliance checks through a process known as the Technical Evidence Capture and Management (TECAM) system, which involves reviewing mountains of scanned documents to prove every standard and requirement is met. Traditionally, that meant days of manual searching. Our evidence identification system, however, automates much of this work, using machine learning and optical character recognition to instantly surface the right records. What used to take days now takes minutes.

While machine learning isn’t new, what’s truly innovative is how we’ve combined this digital tool with our understanding of government processes and facilities. We don’t introduce technology for its own sake, but to put forth real solutions that improve safety and efficiency, enable construction professionals to perform at their best, and deliver for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).

Tailoring Commercial Tools to Secure Environments

Of course, not every instance calls for us to come up with our own proprietary solutions, especially since an extraordinary breadth of commercial construction technologies already exists. The challenge is knowing how to optimize what’s out there. As a company that takes on public and private sector work, Bechtel has been able to use our knowledge of both to adapt commercial technologies for government projects efficiently and effectively.

We’ve done this most recently with LiDAR—a 3D scanner that captures field conditions with millimeter accuracy, producing the exact measurements needed to fabricate parts that must fit perfectly in tight spaces. We initially used this technology on commercial projects, so we had firsthand experience with the different types of LiDAR systems and models in the marketplace and could identify which would work best given UPF’s needs and security constraints.

Then, we worked closely with government security teams to demonstrate LiDAR’s benefits and make modifications to address data-protection concerns. By showing that LiDAR could be integrated into existing protocols, we gained approval, enabling our HVAC teams to quickly obtain precise models of as-built spaces, ensuring ductwork fit right the first time.

That’s not the only recent example. At the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) in Washington state, Bechtel’s High-Level Waste team went through a similar process to introduce the Soter Analytics ergonomic monitor and the Slate Safety BAND V2. These wearables track workers’ movements and physiological data to reduce strain, monitor vital signs in real time, and flag potential risks before they become incidents.

The team worked closely with the government to ensure the technology complied with all data protection requirements before deployment. So far, early results show measurable improvements in worker health and safety, as well as increased productivity. Already, the technology is being evaluated for use on other Bechtel worksites with similar high-security, high-intensity conditions.

Delivering Safer, More Secure, and Efficient Projects

Ultimately, in government construction, innovation isn’t just about having the latest tools—it’s about having the vision and ability to deploy tools that will improve project delivery, safety, security, and efficiency, while respecting the requirements of mission-critical builds.

With 127 years of construction experience—and lessons from our commercial projects worldwide—Bechtel brings that vision. We know how to identify the right solutions, develop our own when needed, and apply proven technologies with a clear understanding of real-world operations that enable Bechtel to honor our commitments.

As the industry continues to evolve, this balance between innovation and practical application remains essential—and Bechtel is committed to leading the way and delivering for our government partners.

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Pumped storage hydropower (PSH) has delivered energy storage capacity and transmission benefits to the United States since the 1920s. Today, 43 PSH projects totaling 23 GW are operational nationwide, providing 97% of the country’s utility-scale energy storage.

By 2050, the U.S. will require an estimated 36 GW of new PSH capacity—more than double what exists today—to meet growing energy security and grid stability needs. However, realizing this potential is far from straightforward. PSH projects are among the most complex infrastructure undertakings—demanding not only technical excellence but, crucially, a foundation of trust, transparency, and collaboration among all delivery stakeholders. 

Key Challenges Facing PSH Development 

• Prolonged Development Timelines Introduce Additional Uncertainty: 
  • PSH projects take at least 4-5 years to develop (some have taken over a decade), far exceeding typical investment horizons, limiting the number and type of potential developers. 
  • Delays and cancellations have further eroded market confidence amid a dynamic policy environment. 
• Costs and Complex Risks Create Investment Barriers: 
  • Multi-phase design, geotechnical investigations, permitting, and execution planning drive up development costs and risks. 
  • Potential investors and project champions are hesitant to enter the market due to high costs and risks. 
• Misaligned Commercial Structures Undermine PSH’s Value:  
  • Despite PSH’s unmatched operational flexibility and lifecycle cost advantages, its unique risk profile (including significant underground, geotechnical, and integration risks) requires tailored commercial frameworks. 
  • Poorly aligned contracts can lead to inflated outturn costs through conservative assumptions, excessive contingencies, claims and resequencing, reduced engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) engagement, and financing challenges. Ultimately, this misalignment erodes trust, accountability, and the full potential value of PSH. 

Prerequisites for Success: Partnership and Collaboration 

Globally, PSH champions increasingly recognize that overcoming such barriers requires trust and transparent, proactive collaboration among developers, owners, engineers, contractors, and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). With a foundation of partnership in place, project teams are far better positioned to navigate complexity, accelerate delivery, and maximize value—truly operating as one team.

At Bechtel, we believe early investments in building trust and confidence among stakeholders are critical. Through the International Hydropower Association’s Working Group on De-risking Pumped Storage, we took a leading role in convening developers, owners, engineers, financiers, and policymakers to confront the unique risks associated with PSH and collaborate on practical, actionable strategies to address them.  

The following recommendations outline how early alignment, thoughtful planning, and tailored commercial structures—grounded in trust and transparency—can help stakeholders unlock and successfully deliver PSH projects. 

1. Select and Align with Partners Early 

Stakeholder engagement is a cornerstone of effective project planning. Early stakeholder engagement is critical to avoid rework, delays, and misalignment. We recommend that project development establish a successful project culture from day one by including: 

• Early vetting, selection, and alignment of key delivery partners—designers, contractors, OEMs, and insurers 
• Experienced teams, proven processes, and deep lessons learned 

At Bechtel, we deploy proven tools and processes to support early collaboration, such as:

• Safety and constructability reviews that optimize design for autonomous and semi-autonomous equipment (e.g., earthworks, tunnelling, and logistics). These reduce the number of personnel underground and near heavy equipment, eliminating safety hazards before they materialize.
• Mobile Equipment Personnel Interface (MEPI) plans tailored to each project to enhance safety and operational efficiency.
• Experienced teams and structured lessons learned, drawn from Bechtel’s extensive megaproject portfolio, to guide early decision making and de-risking.

2. Plan with Foresight and Efficiency

Given the long timelines and multi-billion-dollar budgets, PSH projects demand thoughtful, streamlined planning. To shorten development cycles and improve efficiency in planning, we recommend: 

• A gated process for progressing design, planning for execution, and estimating 
• Structured expert reviews across disciplines throughout the development 
• Integrated planning to identify issues before they escalate 

Bechtel’s PSH and Hydro Playbook brings together decades of lessons learned in megaproject delivery, along with our deep engineering and construction expertise in a structured, gated development process. We are also investing in digital and AI-supported design and construction planning, enabling earlier modelling of design and execution scenarios. 

3. Align Commercial Structures with Project Realities 

PSH projects require a tailored commercial model and should reflect the collaborative foundation of the project. We believe that successful commercial strategies share these key principles: 

• Robust risk identification and assessment 
• Balanced incentives 
• Right-sized contingency planning 

Transparent risk assessments and cost estimates help ensure project budgets are realistic and provide greater certainty of outcome. We advocate for models that utilize concepts such as target cost compensation and change provisions based on a Geotechnical Baseline Report—which build trust and accountability among all stakeholders. 

Partnership is the Key to Unlocking PSH 

PSH is foundational to the future of energy security and grid stability in the U.S. To unlock the next wave of PSH development, stakeholders must embrace a partnership-first approach. By building trust, aligning early, planning efficiently and robustly, and structuring contracts responsibly, we can deliver PSH projects that meet the needs of tomorrow’s grid and deliver lasting value to consumers. 

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In both size and complexity, today’s AI data centers have grown into construction megaprojects. Though building a megaproject may lack the technical intricacy of creating generative AI, they involve extraordinary logistical complexity. This complexity is amplified when considering the pace demanded by demand in the data center market  

To help keep up with demand for constructing AI factories, here are four technology predictions that will reshape how we deliver future AI infrastructure projects.

1. Construction will increasingly look like manufacturing.

Rather than taking place all at a single massive site, much of the work on megaprojects will increasingly be done at multiple, more-controlled sites spread geographically. These secondary sites will feed modules back to skilled craft professionals at the main job location for final installation. Bechtel recently manufactured modules offsite of a semiconductor project, resulting in 10 million job hours being moved off the busy main workfaces.

In the future, construction will modularize elements not previously modularized for AI factories that will let us automate repetitive tasks like drilling, grinding, and welding on these modules, and do it an environment that allows us to work safer, better, and faster.

2. Smart materials: building greener, faster, and smarter.

Building and operating AI factories is resource intensive. Bechtel is mindful of how these projects are delivered and designs them for both efficient construction and efficient operations. The “how” of a project can be just as important when we consider the total resource allocation of a project.

Emerging green steel, low-carbon concrete, and other alternative construction commodities can be friendly to the Earth. We can also wield these commodities more efficiently to lower their footprint.

Bechtel orchestrated a new approach on a semiconductor project that allowed us to do a much wider footprint of “precast” concrete than ever before. Our engineers came up with creative approaches to join precast elements in places they have never been used before due to structural loads and other dynamics. The result was a 3-month savings to the schedule and 55% reduction in onsite labor for concrete.

We also see significant benefits from vertical integration in Bechtel’s supply chain. Bechtel recently took a stake in steel manufacturing, which we pair with our advanced work packaging and logistics to approach a “just in time” delivery schedule for our construction commodities.  

3. AI will help make sense of construction data.

Megaprojects generate mountains of data. Every data element – every signature, every check in a box, every status update, every delivered commodity – has the potential to increase our understanding of how one variable interacts with another in a value chain that cuts across engineering, procurement, and construction. However, such volumes of data are too much for a human to consume.

Today Bechtel is using AI agents to quickly make sense of data and to work more efficiently. In one case, an AI agent processed a 4,400-page manual in minutes, scanning and extracting important operations and maintenance requirements that would have bogged a person down for hundreds of hours. This AI agent saves time, reduces errors, and gets Bechtel’s people back to high impact work faster.  

Future AI agents may operate at the point of data collection, intelligently filtering information—flagging critical data for other agents or parsing it for human review and decision-making.   

4. High-Tech Training Will Upskill Workers Faster.

Today’s virtual reality is a great example of construction training entering a new era. For example, Bechtel uses VR to certify and train crane operators.

Workforce training in the future will see explosive growth in VR because we can get more repetitions in during practice in a 100% safe environment. We can allow craft professionals to get multiple repetitions in different VR scenarios so that they are better equipped to handle real-life challenges in their task or responsibility. 

We’re working on VR and synthetic environments tailored closely to real world projects. AI factories present new components like specialty piping or electrical equipment for our craft professionals. In the future, synthetic environments might be created quickly to recreate a specific job site, or even specific components at specific angles to plan just how manipulate objects before actual work begins.

Conclusion

Bechtel has been an important enabler of progress for the past 127 years. We are energized to take on the next generation of capital projects using emerging tech in modularization, smart materials, AI, and workforce training. With the right approach, we can help our customers get a technological foothold that becomes a foundation for ultimately improving the human condition.

David Wilson is Principal Vice President of Engineering, Procurement, and Construction at Bechtel Manufacturing & Technology. He leads day-to-day operations for engineering, procurement, and construction for life sciences, AI data center, semiconductor, and battery capital projects.  

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Having spent 35 years in this industry, working for Bechtel on iconic projects – ranging from Crossrail (the Elizabeth Line) and HS1 in the UK to metro lines in Riyadh, Sydney, and Toronto – I’ve witnessed rail’s continuing evolution firsthand. The question isn’t whether rail remains transformative; it’s whether we can deliver that transformation efficiently and effectively. 

Rail’s Enduring Promise 

Throughout every technological shift- from steam to diesel to electric, and now to battery-powered trains, MagLev systems, and AI-powered applications – one constant has endured: rail’s unique capacity to integrate communities, generate economic opportunity, and deliver sustainable transportation solutions. 

The evidence is compelling. The Elizabeth Line, which Bechtel helped to deliver, has been used for 600 million passenger journeys since opening in May 2022 and has become the UK’s busiest railway, with 90% reporting positive changes in their local areas and notable job creation. The West Coast Main Line, built in the 1880s, still carries 75 million passengers annually and handles 43% of Britain’s rail freight. These aren’t just infrastructure projects – they’re economic engines that continue delivering returns decades after construction. 

The Delivery Challenge 

Some recent projects have raised legitimate questions about whether current delivery methods can realise rail’s potential benefits while maintaining reasonable costs and timelines. The industry’s reputation increasingly hinges not just on what we build, but how we build it. 

At Bechtel, we’ve seen that efficient delivery is possible. Consider these examples from our portfolio: 

The Riyadh Metro demonstrates what’s possible with creative, consistent execution – it’s the largest metro system to be built in a single phase. Today, its six lines and 176km of track now connect the city’s residential, commercial, and governmental hubs across 85 stations. Ridership has exceeded all expectations, with 100 million journeys in the first nine months since opening last year.  

Metro Rio Line 4 proved that rail projects can meet tight deadlines when properly managed. Developed for the 2016 Olympics, the project delivered 16 kilometers of tunnels and six new stations, increasing capacity by 300,000 passengers per day. 

High Speed 1 showed that ambitious projects can also be cost-effective. It came in $128 million under budget. And the Elizabeth Line has already contributed an estimated £42 billion to the UK economy. These aren’t exceptions – they’re proof that efficient delivery is achievable. 

The Path Forward 

Successful rail delivery requires three critical elements, which we’ve identified through extensive project experience and detailed in Bechtel’s High-Speed Rail white paper: 

• Long-term, cross-party political support ensures projects survive changing governments and maintain consistent funding and vision throughout lengthy development cycles. 

• Strong, collaborative teams that anticipate challenges early, motivated towards common long-term goals and supported by secure supply chains with clear aligned communication channels between all stakeholders. 

• Appropriate, integrated delivery models selected from the outset and designed with the end goal in mind – whether partner-led delivery for complex projects requiring specialized expertise, integrated owner-partner teams for shared accountability, or owner-managed models for organizations with strong internal capabilities. 

The key isn’t finding a one-size-fits-all solution but matching the delivery approach to project needs while maintaining clear lines of responsibility and accountability. 

Leading the Next Century 

Rail’s bicentennial represents more than a milestone – it’s a call to action. The UK’s legacy of rail innovation, built on resilience and progress through adversity, positions us uniquely for the challenges ahead. Projects like East-West Rail, which will revitalize southern England’s connectivity by linking Oxford, Cambridge, and numerous other cities without London diversions, show the transformational potential still within our grasp. And HS2 will clearly be an absolute game-changer for the UK.  

With insights gained from both domestic and global experience, we have the opportunity to lead once again – not just in dreaming big, but in delivering excellence. The next 200 years of rail innovation depend on it. 

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In 1919, a young Dwight D. Eisenhower joined a U.S. Army convoy on a cross-country trip to assess the state of America’s still-nascent roadway infrastructure. During the journey, the convoy encountered long stretches of unpaved, disconnected, and often impassable terrain, leaving a lasting impression on him.  

Decades later, while serving as a World War II general, he was struck by the speed and efficiency of Germany’s autobahn system—a modern, integrated highway that stood in sharp contrast with America’s patchwork network of roads. So once elected President, Eisenhower resolved to build America’s version of the autobahn—but even more ambitious: it became the U.S. Interstate Highway System. 

Today, our nation finds itself in a similar position. With high-speed rail (HSR) systems gaining traction worldwide—and significant networks already established in Asia and Europe—faster travel times, reduced congestion, and interstate connectivity across North America beckon. 

A Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity 

Recent developments give reason for optimism: State and city leaders as well as private developers are stepping up with ambitious plans to fund HSR, and public support remains high.  

And in June, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced reforms to the department’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) implementing procedure, the most ambitious overhaul in 40 years. These changes consolidate six NEPA processes into one streamlined policy— driving significant efficiencies without compromising rigorous oversight for environmental reviews and permitting, by several years in some cases. 

We’d like to see permitting reform go even further. Right now, HSR takes a long time to build not only because of environmental reviews—but also because of the large land acquisitions required to accommodate the complexity of the track. By creating a special fast-track process for HSR, similar to what the government has done for semiconductor projects, we could accelerate HSR development.    

Still, even without this action, the future looks bright for HSR.  As Bechtel wrote in its recent HSR white paper, with growing momentum, expedited permitting, and a willingness to find solutions, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver HSR for the nation, starting with the following actions: 

1. Build Out a Robust High-Speed Rail Industry 

Great infrastructure can only be achieved with a strong workforce—skilled labor, mature supply chains and megaproject delivery experience. Some of this will be a challenge to begin with—but not insurmountable. 

In the early phases, we’ll need to rely on international partners for key components, systems, and specialized labor. However, that reliance should be transitional. By collaborating with overseas partners today, we can jumpstart projects while building U.S. capacity over time—through workforce training, vocational programs, and investment in manufacturing infrastructure. 

The U.S. already has strengths in tunneling, heavy civil construction, and complex project management. By combining these capabilities with targeted investment in a homegrown HSR supply chain and labor, we can develop a competitive and resilient high-speed rail industry. 

2. Adopt a Robust Delivery Model 

The most important decision any HSR project will make is choosing the right delivery model. Success hinges on how well the model aligns roles, responsibilities, and incentives from the outset. 

This starts with defining clear objectives, scope, and performance expectations—so every stakeholder is working toward the same outcome. Designers, builders, and operators must be integrated into a single delivery team. This structure reduces interface risk and speeds decision-making. 

But a solid structure alone isn’t enough. As scale and complexity increase, so does the need for real-time visibility into cost, schedule, scope, and risk, to address issues early and avoid hiccups later on. Final-stage activities like testing, commissioning, and handover must be planned from the beginning to ensure a smooth, on-time opening. 

Bechtel’s work on the UK’s High Speed 1 (HS1) is a proven example: we were able to deliver the project $128 million under budget because we implemented disciplined controls, cost and time trend forecasting, and quantitative risk analysis. We also aligned with our customer’s goals early on to ensure there were no surprises during handover.  

HS1 also shows us the impact of good delivery goes beyond rail: the redevelopment of HS1’s iconic St Pancras station led directly to the transformation of 67 acres of surrounding land into a vibrant mixed-use area with residential, commercial, and public spaces. 

3. Pursue Innovative Funding Methods 

Yes, federal funding is essential—but it’s not enough. To deliver high-speed rail at scale, the U.S. must also unlock private capital. That requires creating the right conditions for investment, where risk is manageable, timelines are reliable, and incentives are aligned.  

Well-structured public-private partnerships—or P3s—allow governments and private partners to share both risk and reward. And there are financial tools that can help build investor confidence, especially in the early stages when passenger revenue is uncertain—from ensuring private partners are compensated based on system readiness, to shielding investors from early financial shortfalls. 

Seizing the Moment  

Eisenhower didn’t just build roads—he connected a nation. Today, HSR offers a similar generational opportunity to redefine how we move, connect, and live. With the right industry base, financing tools, and delivery model, the U.S. can lead the next great infrastructure era, delivering HSR that is world-class and world-leading. 

Download Bechtel’s full white paper “High-Speed Rail in the U.S.: The Mega Project Delivery Perspective”  here. 

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This is a crucial conversation at the right time. America’s leadership in AI and energy will hinge on building the data centers and power sources to run them. The U.S. has the talent, resources, and vision to meet this challenge. But delivering this infrastructure at the unprecedented scale and speed necessary will take more than just ambition. Ambition has to be turned into real-world execution.

Meeting the promise of these projects, in Pennsylvania and across the U.S., means acting now to solve challenges and remove bottlenecks that stand in the way. We must work together to address tight supply chains for steel and critical equipment, accelerate construction of new natural gas-fired power and nuclear projects, grow the country’s skilled workforce, and responsibly improve and speed up our permitting processes.

Bechtel’s decades of experience and innovation have taught us what works, what doesn’t, and what it takes to get the world’s most challenging projects done. In the energy sector, Bechtel has built roughly one-third of global LNG capacity and designed, built, or provided construction services for 150 nuclear plants, including America’s first new reactors in 30 years and, currently, its first small modular and advanced reactors. 

Bechtel stands ready to help deliver the infrastructure that will power America’s AI future and unlock our energy resources – but we’re also grounded in the realities of what it will take to achieve this. That’s the lens I’m bringing to today’s summit.

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