Article By Lucas Nolan
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta revealed on Friday a comprehensive series of nuclear power agreements designed to supply electricity for its expanding AI infrastructure across the United States.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Meta has entered into multiple arrangements that position it as a major customer for both new and existing nuclear energy facilities. The agreements involve partnerships with reactor developers TerraPower and Oklo, as well as a substantial deal with power producer Vistra to purchase electricity from three operational nuclear plants. While financial terms of the deals remain undisclosed, industry observers note these arrangements represent some of the most extensive commitments between technology companies and nuclear power providers to date.
The social media giant has set ambitious delivery targets for the new reactors, aiming to bring the first units online as early as 2030 and 2032. These timelines are aggressive even by conventional power project standards. Meanwhile, electricity purchases from Vistra are scheduled to begin later this year, with that power remaining on the existing grid infrastructure.
Urvi Parekh, director of global energy at Meta, acknowledged the challenging nature of the schedule but emphasized the importance of ambitious goals. In an interview, she explained that meeting these timelines would require the companies to rapidly identify sites acceptable to nuclear regulators, collaborate with utilities to secure grid connections, and establish manufacturing operations. However, achieving these deadlines would allow the projects to address the immediate demand for additional electricity needed to support AI computing operations.
The AI boom has dramatically increased electricity demand projections, leading to expanded requirements for new natural gas-fired power plants and creating significant bottlenecks for grid connections. This surge has also sparked heightened interest from the technology sector in nuclear power and prompted a movement among tech companies to develop their own power generation capabilities.
Under the agreement with TerraPower, Meta will provide funding to accelerate development of two reactors capable of generating up to 690 megawatts of capacity by 2032, sufficient to power a midsize city. The arrangement includes potential expansion to six additional units by 2035.SUBSCRIBE
By subscribing, you agree to our terms of use & privacy policy. You will receive email marketing messages from Breitbart News Network to the email you provide. You may unsubscribe at any time.
The partnership with Oklo involves Meta funding to launch development of a nuclear campus in Ohio. According to Oklo, Meta’s advance payments for power will be utilized to secure nuclear fuel and advance the initial phase of the project. The facility could eventually expand to approximately 1,200 megawatts of capacity, comparable to a large conventional reactor.
Jacob DeWitte, co-founder and CEO of Oklo, described the deal as a significant milestone in advancing nuclear technology. Oklo intends to develop the project on a 206-acre site in Pike County, Ohio. The company became publicly traded in 2024 through a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company led by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
The nuclear sector outlook has improved substantially in recent years. All three Vistra plants had been scheduled for closure just a few years ago. Despite current rising power prices and increased federal support for nuclear energy, Vistra Chief Executive Jim Burke stated that the extensions and uprates would not be financially feasible without Meta’s financial backing.
In the previous year, Meta agreed to purchase the power generation from a nuclear plant in Illinois for 20 years under an arrangement with Constellation Energy. The power company indicated it would help cover costs associated with re-licensing, upgrades, and maintenance. The Vistra agreement follows a similar structure. Through what is termed a power-purchase agreement, Meta will buy the nuclear power generation while electricity from all involved reactors continues to flow to the broader grid system.
Additional technology-nuclear sector deals include Amazon’s investment in reactor developer X-energy, Microsoft’s 20-year power-purchase agreement with Constellation to facilitate the restart of the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania, and a Google-NextEra Energy partnership to reopen a nuclear reactor in Iowa.
Be the first to comment