In the midst of the escalation of the electricity demand associated with artificial intelligence data centers alreadyMeta has decided to make a move and secure a very long-term supply. The parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp has closed three major nuclear energy agreements in the United States with the goal of ensuring that its future AI deployments are not hampered by a lack of electricity.
These agreements, signed with Vistra, TerraPower and OkloThese funds are in addition to a previous commitment with Constellation Energy and could unlock up to 6,6 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear capacity new and existing by 2035. Meta frames the operation as a key step to sustain the growth of its data centers, including the Prometheus AI supercluster which is being built in New Albany, Ohio, and which aspires to be one of its main centers for advanced computing.
A race for energy amid the AI explosion
With generative AI and large-scale models skyrocketing, the tech industry has discovered that the real bottleneck isn't just chips or talent, but to have abundant, stable, and low-emission energyTraining and running AI models on a large scale requires a continuous flow of electricity, day and night, with little tolerance for power outages or surges.
In this context, nuclear energy reappears as a strategic alternative: offers 24/7 reliable productionIt doesn't depend on wind or sun and can handle peak data center loads without the volatility of other technologies. For companies like Meta, securing long-term nuclear contracts means reducing uncertainty about the cost per kilowatt-hour and facilitating the planning of new digital infrastructure.
Meta's move adds to a broader trend in the sector, where Big tech companies are quietly competing to secure megawatts decades down the line. As new data center campuses are announced in the United States and, by extension, in other regions. like EuropeEach energy agreement becomes another piece in that race to not fall behind in computing power.
At the same time, the company emphasizes that these contracts will contribute to strengthening the US nuclear supply chain and sustaining local employment in the construction and operation of plants, an argument that fits with the political priorities of energy security and reindustrialization that currently dominate the debate in the United States.
Meta had already explored the nuclear market in 2024, when it launched a request for interest to secure between 1 and 4 GW of nuclear power. With the agreements now announced, the company is clearly taking a step further and positioning itself as one of the largest corporate buyers of nuclear energy of the country, according to its own management team.
Vistra, TerraPower and Oklo: a combination of existing plants and advanced reactors
The design of the Meta mix agreements life extension of power plants already in operation with the push for new-generation nuclear technologies. On the one hand, the agreement with Vistra guarantees energy from three nuclear power plants in the US industrial beltWhile, on the other hand, the agreements with TerraPower and Oklo are geared towards the development of small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced reactors.
On the front of already operational capacity, Meta has signed contracts with 20 years to acquire electricity from the Perry and Davis-Besse power plantsin Ohio, and from the Beaver Valley plant in Pennsylvania. In addition to purchasing energy, the company emphasizes that these agreements will help finance the expansion of capacity and extending the useful life of the facilities, which have active licenses beyond 2030 and, in some cases, until the middle of the century.
As for TerraPower, the company co-founded by Bill Gates, Meta will provide funding for the development of two units Natrium capable of generating up to 690 megawatts (MW) of firm power, with deliveries planned around 2032. The agreement also grants Meta rights to energy from up to six additional Natrium unitswhich could add up to around 2,1 GW of capacity by 2035, reinforcing the energy margin for maneuver in the medium term.
The third pillar is Oklo, a firm whose most prominent investors include Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. The collaboration with Meta will focus on the implementation of an energy campus of up to 1,2 GW in Pike County, Ohio, specifically designed to support the company's data centers in the region. This type of campus integrates several modular reactors and is intended to supply power close to the computing facilities.
The focus on small modular reactors is one of the most innovative elements of the package. Proponents of SMRs argue that, because they are mass-produced in a factory rather than built from scratch on-site, They could lower costs and reduce deployment times compared to large conventional reactors. Critics, however, warn that it has not yet been demonstrated that they can achieve the same economies of scale and point out that, for now, There is no SMR in commercial operation in the United States.
The Prometheus AI supercluster and the role of Ohio and Pennsylvania
One of the main beneficiaries of this nuclear capability will be the Prometheus AI superclusterThe data center complex that Meta is building in New Albany, Ohio, is a cluster of approximately 1 GW spanning several buildings. The company hopes to have it operational soon to host large-scale AI model training and deployment workloads.
The choice of Ohio and Pennsylvania is not accidental. Both states have a long industrial and energy traditionThis includes a significant portion of the necessary network infrastructure and a supplier ecosystem capable of absorbing projects of this size. By linking power purchase agreements with the extension of the lifespan of local nuclear plants, Meta seeks to align its technological interests with regional economic priorities.
From the perspective of the affected communities, the company insists that the agreements could generate thousands of temporary construction jobs y hundreds of permanent jobs for the operation and maintenance of the plants. This is in addition to the driving effect on associated services such as engineering, security, logistics, and industrial maintenance, which typically accompany investments of this type.
These projects are also part of a political narrative in which the Energy security and technological autonomy They have gained weight. In a context of geopolitical tensions and complex energy transitions, a major technology company's commitment to decades-long nuclear contracts reinforces the message that critical infrastructure must be secured domestically.
Although the majority of the agreements are located in the United States, the movement sends a signal that also resonates in other mature markets, such as the European Union, where there is intense debate about How to reconcile the growth of AI with climate goals and the limitations of the electricity grid. The US experience with large corporate nuclear contracts will be closely watched by European regulators and operators.
Financial dimension and market reaction
On the stock market, the announcement has had an immediate impact on some of Meta's partners. Shares of Oklo shares jumped by nearly 20%. Following the announcement of the agreements, Vistra's shares rose by around 8% in pre-market trading. This reaction reflects the perception that 20-year contracts with a top-tier client They provide revenue visibility and support for these companies' expansion plans.
For Meta, importance is measured differently. Ensuring a firm, long-term nuclear energy supply brings greater clarity to the issue. the future energy cost of its AI infrastructureThis is a chapter that is gaining importance as data centers multiply and the use of advanced models intensifies. The message to investors is that the company assumes that the deployment of AI will involve a high structural capexnot only in servers and networks, but also in energy agreements and, in some cases, direct participation in generation assets.
This strategy can generate a drag effect across the entire technology sector. If Meta secures access to several gigawatts of nuclear power until 2035, other major digital platforms And data center operators could be pressured to close similar deals in order not to be at a competitive disadvantage, both in terms of energy availability and cost predictability.
The so-called “competition for megawatts” also has a possible indirect effect on the rest of the economy: increased demand for firm energy from big tech companies This could put pressure on prices and availability for other consumers, from traditional industry to households. This adds to the burden on regulators and grid planners, who are forced to balance digital growth, residential use, and the productive sector.
In parallel, Meta's partnerships with companies like TerraPower, Oklo, and Constellation help position the Nuclear energy at the heart of the debate on energy transitionnot only as a support for the digital industry, but as a piece of a decarbonized electricity mix in which renewables and nuclear power complement each other.
Risks, deadlines and the importance of regulation
Despite the announced gigawatt capacity, the biggest challenge is the timeline. Extending the lifespan of existing plants is usually faster than building new units, but it requires... regulatory approvals, upgrade investments and agreements with network operatorsEach license review, each modernization project, and each security audit can introduce delays and additional costs.
The uncertainty is amplified when it comes to advanced nuclear technologies and SMRs. None of the modular reactors designed by TerraPower and Oklo are yet in commercial operation, and Licensing processes in the United States are long and demanding.The success of the agreements will depend largely on how regulatory frameworks evolve and on the developers' ability to meet deadlines and budgets.
In this scenario, analysts and investors will not only look at the headline about 6,6 GW, but also at the actual breakdown of firm capacity that will come into service year by yearAlso key will be the specific nature of the contracts (whether they are long-term power purchase agreements, direct investments, or hybrid arrangements) and the extent to which delivery milestones are contingent upon regulatory approvals or energy policy decisions.
There is also a public perception component. The resurgence of nuclear power as a pillar of AI expansion may reopen debates about safety, waste management and social acceptance of the power plantsAlthough the discussion is under review in the United States, in regions such as Europe certain countries maintain very divergent positions on the role of this technology in the energy mix.
However, the prospect of AI data centers consuming massive amounts of electricity for decades adds urgency to the search for low-carbon and highly available energy sourcesIn that context, nuclear power, with all its nuances, presents itself to companies like Meta as one of the few options capable of offering firm power on a large scale without significantly increasing emissions.
Meta's move, structured around agreements with Vistra, TerraPower, and Oklo and supported by existing assets and next-generation projects, reinforces the idea that Energy infrastructure has become part of the core of the technology businessIn the race for artificial intelligence, it will not be enough to have the best algorithms or the most advanced chips: companies that manage to secure the necessary energy, with stable contracts and low carbon footprint technologies, will start with an advantage that can make all the difference in the next decade.
