Meta strikes 20-year nuclear power deal with Constellation Energy
An aerial view of the Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois. (Constellation Energy photo)
This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here.
Facebook's parent company Meta locked in 20 years of nuclear power on Tuesday from Constellation Energy to help meet the tech giant's surging energy demand for artificial intelligence and its other power-intensive computing needs.
'Securing clean, reliable energy is necessary to continue advancing our AI ambitions,' Urvi Parekh, head of global energy at Meta, said in a statement.
The agreement, which calls for Constellation to provide Meta with 1.1 gigawatts of power from its Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois, is the latest in a slew of deals tying large tech companies to nuclear energy.
Google signed the first corporate agreement to purchase nuclear energy from multiple small modular reactors (SMRs) developed by Kairos Power in October. Amazon anchored a $500 million investment into X-energy Reactor Co.'s research and development of SMRs and is working with Dominion Energy to advance nuclear development in Virginia.
Microsoft entered into a power purchase agreement with Constellation in September to restart the energy company's Three Mile Island nuclear unit in Pennsylvania. The 20-year deal is slated to contribute to Microsoft's goal of matching the power its data centers use with carbon-free energy.
Constellation's Clinton Clean Energy Center, about 160 miles southwest of Chicago, was slated to close in 2017 after years of financial losses. But a zero-emission credit program saved the plant after legislation in Illinois provided financial support into mid-2027.
The agreement announced Tuesday with Meta takes effect in June 2027, when the state's taxpayer credit program expires. It essentially replaces the credit program and ensures long-term operations of the plant without ratepayer support, according to Constellation.
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'This partnership keeps Clinton at the forefront of clean energy while securing jobs and driving local growth,' said Illinois state Rep. Sally Turner, a Republican representing the 44th district, which includes Clinton. 'It's the kind of smart, private investment that strengthens communities without adding taxpayer burden.'
The Clinton power purchase agreement is set to preserve more than 1,000 local jobs and deliver $13.5 million in annual tax revenue, according to the Baltimore-based energy company. Bobby Wendell, an official at a unit of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, said in a statement that the agreement will deliver a 'stable work environment' for workers at the plant.
The Energy Center generates enough clean electricity to power some 800,000 homes, according to Constellation. The deal with Meta will relicense and continue the operations in Clinton, while expanding its output by 30 megawatts from its current 1,121 megawatts. The financial details of the deal between Meta and Constellation were not disclosed.
The power purchase agreement comes as nuclear regains traction. Some see the energy source as an answer for the increasing power demands from data centers and AI as long as the technology can scale.
A coalition of large energy users like Amazon, Google, Dow and Meta pledged in March to triple global nuclear energy capacity by 2050. Financial institutions like Bank of America, Citi, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley also endorsed the commitment for nuclear expansion.
Constellation President and CEO Joe Dominguez said the deal with Meta ensures prior mistakes aren't repeated by allowing a valuable energy plant to shut down as demand soars.
'Sometimes the most important part of our journey forward is to stop taking steps backwards,' Dominguez said.
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