Facebook parent company Meta has signed a landmark 20-year nuclear energy agreement with US-based Constellation Energy, securing electricity from the Clinton Clean Energy Centre in Illinois to meet the surging power demands of artificial intelligence.
Announced Tuesday, the deal will see Meta’s undisclosed investment replace state subsidies for the plant starting in 2027. The agreement covers the facility’s entire 1,121-megawatt output, which will power Meta’s regional operations and add 30 megawatts of extra capacity to the broader electricity grid.
“As we look toward our future energy needs in advancing AI, we recognise the immense value of nuclear power in providing reliable, firm electricity,” Meta stated.
The tech giant’s move aligns with a broader trend among major firms like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, all turning to nuclear power as a stable, carbon-free source of energy to support their expanding AI infrastructure and data centers.
With data centre electricity usage expected to more than double by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency, nuclear energy is gaining renewed attention for its reliability and environmental benefits amid growing global climate and energy demands.
What you should know
Meta’s new 20-year nuclear deal with Constellation Energy will power its AI operations with over 1,100 megawatts of electricity from 2027.
The agreement replaces government subsidies for the Clinton plant and reflects Big Tech’s increasing reliance on nuclear power to meet AI-driven energy needs.
