KEY FACTS: Meta has signed a 20-year agreement with Constellation Energy to purchase 1.1 gigawatts of nuclear power from the Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois, starting in mid-2027, to fuel its AI-driven data centers. This deal, Meta’s largest power purchase to date, ensures the long-term operation of the Clinton plant, preserving over 1,100 jobs and preventing 34 million metric tons of carbon emissions over 20 years. The agreement supports Meta’s $72 billion data center expansion in 2025 and in line with its push for clean energy, including a Request for Proposals for 4 gigawatts of new nuclear reactors by the early 2030s.

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Source: Meta Blog

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Meta and Constellation Energy Inks a 20-Year Nuclear Energy Deal to Power AI

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has signed a 20-year agreement with Constellation Energy to purchase 1.1 gigawatts of nuclear power from the Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois. The deal, announced on June 3, 2025, marks Meta’s first major foray into atomic energy partnerships and underscores the growing reliance of Big Tech on nuclear power to fuel the computational needs of AI and data centers. This agreement not only ensures a stable, emissions-free energy supply for Meta but also secures the long-term operation of a key nuclear facility, preserving jobs and supporting clean energy goals.

As we develop AI technology that’s transforming the world economy and the way people connect, we’re continuing to add clean and renewable energy to the grid.
We’re excited to announce a 20-year corporate nuclear energy agreement with Constellation Energy that will preserve thousands of local jobs and enable new energy capacity in southern Illinois.
Source

The rapid expansion of AI technologies has driven an unprecedented increase in energy consumption, particularly for data centers that power complex AI models and cloud computing services. Meta, like other tech giants such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, is investing heavily in infrastructure to support its AI ambitions. The company projects spending up to $72 billion in 2025 alone to expand its data center footprint, with a significant portion of this budget allocated to securing reliable and sustainable energy sources. The agreement with Constellation Energy is a cornerstone of this strategy, providing Meta with 1,121 megawatts of carbon-free nuclear energy starting in mid-2027, enough to power approximately 800,000 homes.

The Clinton Clean Energy Center, located in central Illinois, has been a vital part of the state’s energy infrastructure since it began operations in 1987. However, the facility faced significant financial challenges, with plans for a premature closure in 2017 due to sustained losses. Illinois’ Future Energy Jobs Act, passed in 2016, introduced a zero-emission credit program that provided financial support to keep the plant operational through mid-2027. Meta’s 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Constellation Energy ensures the plant’s viability beyond this subsidy period, pending approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to extend its operating license through 2047.

Under the terms of the agreement, Meta will purchase the entire output of the Clinton plant’s single nuclear reactor, which generates approximately 1.1 gigawatts of electricity. Additionally, the deal facilitates a 30-megawatt expansion of the plant’s capacity, contributing to the local grid and supporting regional energy needs. This expansion is expected to preserve over 1,100 high-paying jobs at the facility, which employs more than 530 people and contributes approximately $13.5 million in annual taxes to the local economy.

An analysis by The Brattle Group highlights the environmental significance of keeping the Clinton plant operational. Shuttering the facility would have resulted in an additional 34 million metric tons of carbon emissions over 20 years, equivalent to adding 7.4 million gasoline-powered cars to the road for a year. Securing a long-term buyer in Meta will help Constellation Energy to maintain the plant’s role as a cornerstone of Illinois’ carbon-free energy production.

Meta’s deal with Constellation Energy is part of a wave of partnerships between Big Tech and the nuclear energy industry, driven by the need for reliable, low-carbon power sources to support AI-driven data centers. In September 2024, Constellation announced a similar 20-year agreement with Microsoft to restart a reactor at Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island, the site of the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history in 1979. That deal, like Meta’s, aims to provide a stable energy supply for Microsoft’s data centers while revitalizing an aging nuclear facility.

Other tech giants are also embracing nuclear energy. Last fall, Amazon announced investments in small modular reactors (SMRs), followed closely by Google, which revealed plans to fund three advanced nuclear projects with Elementl Power. In March 2025, Meta, Amazon, and Google joined a pledge led by the World Nuclear Association to triple global nuclear energy capacity by 2050, signaling a collective commitment to nuclear power as a cornerstone of their clean energy strategies.

These partnerships reflect a growing recognition of nuclear energy’s unique ability to provide consistent, high-capacity power with minimal carbon emissions. Unlike solar and wind, which account for about 24% of U.S. data center power, nuclear energy offers a stable baseload that is critical for the uninterrupted operation of data centers. Currently, nuclear power comprises about 15% of data center energy in the U.S., according to the International Energy Agency, but this share is expected to grow as tech companies expand their nuclear investments.

While the Clinton deal addresses Meta’s near-term energy needs, the company is also looking to the future with ambitious plans to expand nuclear capacity. In December 2024, Meta issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for up to 4 gigawatts of new nuclear reactors in the U.S., targeting operational timelines in the early 2030s. The company has received over 50 proposals from utilities, developers, and nuclear technology manufacturers across more than 20 states, indicating strong interest in supporting Meta’s vision for a nuclear-powered future. Constellation Energy is also exploring the possibility of building a second reactor at the Clinton site, which has already received federal approval for expansion.

The announcement of the Meta-Constellation deal sent ripples through financial markets, with Constellation Energy’s stock soaring 7% in early trading on June 3, 2025, and reaching a 52-week high of $337. Other nuclear-related stocks, including Vistra Corp. and Oklo, also saw significant gains, reflecting investor optimism about the sector’s growth. Uranium-related stocks, such as Uranium Energy and Energy Fuels, surged by 9% and 9.9%, respectively, as the deal underscored the rising demand for nuclear fuel.

The deal also comes at a time of increasing policy support for nuclear energy in the U.S. In May 2025, the Trump administration issued executive orders aimed at expanding domestic nuclear capacity, highlighting its role in meeting the nation’s energy needs. However, challenges remain, particularly regarding the U.S.’s reliance on imported uranium and the lengthy timelines required to build new reactors. Experts warn that while nuclear energy is a promising solution, it will take years to scale up capacity to meet the tech industry’s insatiable demand.

In Illinois, state lawmakers recently failed to pass legislation addressing the growing energy demands of data centers, which could have included provisions to lift a longtime ban on new nuclear plant construction. Such policy changes could further accelerate the adoption of nuclear energy in the state, where data centers are rapidly expanding.

Meta’s nuclear deal is a significant step toward achieving its clean energy goals while supporting local communities. By securing emissions-free power from the Clinton plant, Meta is reducing its carbon footprint and helping to mitigate the environmental impact of its energy-intensive operations. The deal also ensures the continued operation of a facility that has been a vital economic driver in central Illinois, preserving high-paying jobs and contributing to the region’s tax base.

Moreover, the agreement highlights the potential for tech companies to play a transformative role in the energy sector. By committing to long-term power purchase agreements, companies like Meta are providing the financial certainty needed to sustain and expand nuclear facilities, many of which have faced economic challenges in recent years due to competition from cheaper renewable and fossil fuel sources. Meta’s deal with Constellation Energy signals a turning point for the nuclear industry, which has seen a resurgence of interest driven by the AI boom.

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Information Sources:

• Meta Blog
• Constellation EG/ X
• Cointelegraph
• constellation Energy Blog

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