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Meta Platforms has entered a deal to purchase nuclear power from Constellation Energy Corporation’s Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois.
Constellation announced the deal with the tech giant on Tuesday, saying it “supports the relicensing and continued operations” of the nuclear power plant and Meta’s clean energy goals.
The Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois. | Fox News
The power purchase agreement starts in 2027 and will span 20 years.
NUCLEAR ENERGY UNDERGOING REVIVAL IN UNITED STATES
Constellation said the deal will allow its Clinton Clean Energy Center to “continue to flow power onto the local grid” with Meta “purchasing the plant’s clean energy attributes as part of its commitment to match 100% of its electricity use with clean and renewable energy.”
The power purchase agreement starts in 2027 and will span 20 years. (Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The nuclear power plant will add 30 megawatts of increased output from nuclear uprates through the deal with Meta, according to the company. Its reactor can currently generate up to 1,092 megawatts.
GOOGLE SIGNS DEAL WITH NUCLEAR DEVELOPER FOR TRIO OF ADVANCED ENERGY PROJECTS
“We are excited to partner with Constellation and the Clinton community to ensure the long-term operations of the nuclear plant, add new capacity, and help preserve over 1,000 jobs,” Meta Head of Global Energy Urvi Parekh said in a statement. “Securing clean, reliable energy is necessary to continue advancing our AI ambitions.”
The nuclear power plant will add 30 megawatts of increased output from nuclear uprates through the deal with Meta. (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration / Reuters Photos)
The deal comes as tech companies like Meta, Microsoft and Google have been looking to nuclear energy for electricity as they continue to ramp up their AI efforts.
Google announced in early May that it would “provide early-stage capital” to help Elementl Power “prepare three potential sites in the U.S. for advanced nuclear projects” with the “option for commercial off-take” once they are built and start generating electricity.
Constellation announced last fall that it inked a 20-year electricity purchase agreement with Microsoft that would “pave the way” for Three Mile Island’s Unit 1 reactor to start back up in Pennsylvania.
Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station circa 1979. (Getty Images / Getty Images)
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Meta’s newly announced agreement with Constellation will keep the Clinton nuclear reactor from shutting down after its Zero Emission Credit ends in mid-2027, Constellation said.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| META | META PLATFORMS INC. | 670.90 | +23.41 | +3.62% |
| CEG | CONSTELLATION ENERGY CORP. | 315.67 | +2.24 | +0.71% |
The energy company also said it was looking into ways to extend Clinton Clean Energy Center’s existing early site permit or “seek a new construction permit” from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to develop an advanced nuclear reactor or small modular reactor at the facility now that the plant will be open for 20 more years.
The U.S. is projected to see a 15.8% jump in electricity demand by 2029, with data centers, manufacturing and electrification being major contributors, according to a report from GridStrategies.
People walk through the hallways at Equinix Data Center in Ashburn, Virginia, on May 9, 2024. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades for The Washington Post via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Both AI and the data centers they rely on require large amounts of electricity.
The International Energy Administration forecasted in April that U.S. electricity consumption from AI and data centers will soar 130% from 2024 to 2030.
