According to the companies ‘ announcement on Tuesday, Meta, the parent firm of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has entered a 20-year deal with Constellation Energy to acquire nuclear energy from the Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois.
The agreement, which is Meta’s largest clean energy order to date, is scheduled to go into effect in June 2027 and is designed to address the company’s growing energy demand, which is being driven by artificial intelligence and data center expansion.
The Clinton Clean Energy Center may increase employment and power.
Under this agreement, the Clinton radioactive plant, which was originally scheduled to close due to economic pressure, will continue to be operational well into the 2040s.
According to Joseph Dominguez, president and chief executive officer of Constellation,” America’s existing nuclear ship is vital to our society and Meta figured out that supporting the relicensing and growth of existing trusted, fresh generation is just as effective as finding new sources of energy.” With additional capacity on the horizon and the possibility to explore new atomic development on site, this deal will ensure the plant, which is well-known for its consistently strong performance, will remain in operation until at least mid-century.
The Clinton facility will upgrade its equipment, create 30 megawatts, and support 1,100 well-paying jobs as part of the agreement. Constellation will continue to donate$ 13.5 million in local taxes each year over the course of five years in addition to its$ 1 million charitable contributions to local nonprofits.
The agreement comes as Meta’s energy usage is steeply rising, fueled in part by faster AI development. The electricity consumption of Meta nearly tripled between 2019 and 2023.
Urvi Parekh, Meta’s head of global energy, said,” Securing clean, reliable energy is necessary to continue advancing our AI ambitions.
The Clinton plant is a significant component in strengthening America’s leadership in energy, said the company,” we are proud to contribute to its continued operation for years to come.”
Nuclear push by big tech
Microsoft, Google, and Amazon all use nuclear energy to power their AI-driven growth, and Meta is not the only company to do this. Microsoft and Constellation Energy signed a deal last year to restart Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania, and Google is looking into Kairos Power’s development of small modular reactors ( SMRs ) to create up to 500 MW of nuclear energy.
In addition, these tech giants have supported a global commitment to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050, citing the need for reliable, carbon-free power.
Looking forward to nuclear power’s future
Constellation is considering adding a new reactor to the site now that the plant’s future is secured.
According to Dominguez,” It’s a logical place for us to talk to Meta and other people about potential asset generation.” He noted that discussions with other customers are already taking place.
Nuclear power is receiving renewed attention for its reliability and zero-emission benefits as the demand for AI, cloud computing, and data centers rises.
