Meta has signed a 20-year agreement with a nuclear power plant in Illinois to supply clean energy for its expanding data infrastructure amid rising artificial intelligence energy demands.
The Guardian staff and agencies report.
In short:
- Meta’s deal with Constellation Energy will support the Clinton Clean Energy Center, a nuclear plant in Illinois, helping to extend its license and increase its output by 30 megawatts.
- The agreement ensures energy supply for Meta’s AI and datacenter operations and replaces expiring state subsidies for the plant after 2027.
- Other tech companies like Google and Microsoft are also turning to nuclear energy to meet the growing power demands of artificial intelligence technologies.
Key quote:
“One of the things that we hear very acutely from utilities is they want to have certainty that power plants operating today will continue to operate.”
— Urvi Parekh, head of global energy at Meta
Why this matters:
As AI reshapes digital infrastructure, the tech sector’s hunger for electricity is exploding. That surge is steering tech giants toward nuclear energy, a carbon-free but controversial source that’s making a comeback after decades of decline. The Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois is one of several aging plants being kept alive or even expanded thanks to AI-fueled demand. While nuclear power sidesteps the greenhouse gases linked to coal and gas, it raises long-term safety and waste management concerns, especially as plants approach or exceed their original operating lifespans. Deals like Meta’s could extend the lives of existing nuclear infrastructure across the country, effectively subsidizing these reactors as public funding dries up.
For more: Tech giants turn to nuclear power to meet growing AI demands
