Meta has signed a 20-year deal with a nuclear plant to buy electricity that will power the data centres behind its AI efforts.
Constellation Energy, which owns nuclear plants across the US, will sell the output of the Illinois-based Clinton Clean Energy Center to Meta from June 2027.
Nuclear energy provides consistent, reliable and high-capacity power, so it is particularly useful for keeping the lights on at data centres. It’s also a low-carbon form of energy for firms that have set themselves net zero targets.
Meta said: “We have heard from across the ecosystem that existing nuclear power plants will not be able to stay online indefinitely without partners and investments that help extend existing operating licenses and increase generation capacity.
“It’s clear that there are many nuclear power plants serving the US that need long-term support to help our electricity grids remain reliable as energy needs grow. Keeping an existing plant operating will have the same positive effect as adding...