Steam rises from Vogl's four-unit cooling tower in Waynesboro, Georgia (Photo: Southern Nuclear)
“The opportunities presented by AI are limitless, and Southern Nuclear is committed to pioneering the integration of AI to enhance our operations,” said Rick Libra, Executive Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer. “We know that our country is more dependent than ever on reliable nuclear power and domestically developed nuclear power generation. [Microsoft] Co-Pilot Agent reflects our commitment to innovation. Dedicated to supporting the adoption of AI in our industry, we are working to optimize current processes and establish new standards in the energy sector. ”
drive value
Jesse Thomas, general manager of strategy and innovation at Southern Nuclear, has been at the forefront of the company's AI movement.
“Every decision we make is based on what is best for our customers,” Thomas says. “We understand how critical value is to our customers. Nuclear plays a critical role in keeping the lights on, and the more we can do to enhance processes within our fleet, the more value our owner companies can deliver to our customers.”
Thomas explained that while applications for AI agents range from corporate functions such as communications and human resources to technical roles such as engineering and licensing, there are three agents that are particularly good at supporting plant maintenance teams. They are the Fleet Operating Experience Agent, the Safety Advisor First Officer, and the Organizational Effectiveness and Performance Improvement Agent.
Plant Vogtle Employee-Owned Safety Program Leader Rich Merjuste (left) and Plant Vogtle Safety Coordinator Brian Vallee perform a safety walkdown with references from Safety Advisor Copilot agents. (Photo: Southern Nuclear)
OE: Make operator experience readily available
At the heart of this AI initiative is the Fleet Operating Experience (OE) agent, which revolutionizes access to OE data. OE agents help teams optimize operations and maintain peak efficiency by streamlining work package preparation and troubleshooting equipment issues and fabrication work preparation. This enables more agile and responsive maintenance teams to address challenges with safety, precision and efficiency, ultimately increasing equipment reliability.
The OE agent was first introduced in June 2025 and is now an integral part of problem response teams' toolkits, quickly finding internal OEs from a vast database of sources and providing information to problem solvers in just minutes.
Safety Advisor Co-Pilot: Improving safety standards
Safety Advisor Copilot agents provide instant access to safety procedures and OSHA guidance to support broader worker knowledge and streamline job preparation. Work planners use it to ensure that applicable safety information is included in work packages, and technicians can easily access and quickly find the information. This supports a proactive approach to safety and also highlights Southern Nuclear's commitment to a strong safety culture, as safety remains the company's top priority.
The Safety Advisor Copilot agent was developed by Rich Merjuste, employee-owned safety program leader at Plant Vogtle. He says, “This new tool creates a way to improve our work and increase the effectiveness of our teams. These agents create the ability to have subject matter expert knowledge by our side throughout every job, and only strengthen our ability to put safety first.”
OR/PI: Improving organizational performance
Organizational Effectiveness and Performance Improvement (OR/PI) agents help drive high-quality improvement plans. This AI agent helps develop these plans and effectively communicates the underlying issues, facilitating timely resolution of issues. This has been used to create a fundamental improvement plan to improve accuracy, craftsmanship, and overall maintenance efficiency across the Southern Nuclear Fleet. It also improves overall organizational performance and drives continuous improvement throughout the company.
Maintenance I&C technicians Jonathan Cox (left) and Anthony Glover use information from the OE AI agent to prepare for plant maintenance activities. (Photo: Southern Nuclear)
One team for innovation
Southern Nuclear's AI transformation is led by an AI working group that works closely with the Southern Company AI Center of Excellence.
“Southern Nuclear's AI Working Group is a catalyst for collaboration and innovation. By bringing together diverse expertise from across the organization, we are able to develop and deploy AI solutions that enhance operational capabilities,” said Roy Berryman, Southern Nuclear Project Manager. “This collaborative approach not only accelerates our AI efforts, but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement and shared learning. Together, we are paving the way to a more efficient and positive future.”
A key aspect of the AI Working Group is the collaboration and involvement of all major functional areas and sites within the company. Working group member Jacob Walker, maintenance supervisor at Plant Farley, said, “The benefit of bringing diverse experience in advancing AI is that it allows end users to be integrally involved in what we do with AI. The perspective that I can bring from my day-to-day plant maintenance experience will ensure that we use AI in a way that provides the greatest benefit at the point of execution.”
Maintenance leaders are leveraging these tools to align their teams around key areas of focus. “AI tools can help compile information so it can be shared regularly with maintenance teams and presented in a concise and consistent format,” Walker added. “These tools allow maintenance leaders to quickly develop communications from critical performance data that previously required more software expertise and time to develop.”
As AI continues to play a pivotal role in efficient plant maintenance and operations, the company has expanded its robust ecosystem of over 850 active Copilot users and portfolio of custom-built agents. This strategic initiative to incorporate AI into nuclear operations has not only been recognized by the industry, but also set the standard for innovation in the energy sector.
Southern Nuclear continues to improve and expand its AI agents, driving progress towards a smarter, more reliable and efficient future, and serving as a model of progress and inspiration for the entire industry.
Leighton Burkett is the External Affairs and Communications Manager at Southern Nuclear.
