Meta signs its first partnership with a nuclear facility

Meta has signed a deal with American energy company Constellation Energy to help keep a nuclear power plant in Illinois running for the next two decades - marking the company's first direct partnership with a nuclear facility.

The agreement will support the continued operation of the Clinton Clean Energy Center, a 1,121-megawatt reactor that powers around 800,000 homes, according to a report by Reuters. Without this deal, the plant was at risk of closure in 2027, when an existing state-funded subsidy programme is set to expire.

The move comes as Big Tech faces growing pressure to secure reliable, low-carbon energy sources to power data centres and support the energy demands of artificial intelligence (AI). Meta's long-term power purchase will effectively replace the public support the plant has been receiving and may also help Constellation obtain a renewed operating licence from federal regulators through 2047, states Reuters.

According to the report, Urvi Parekh, Meta's global head of energy, said utilities want confidence that existing plants will continue operating, especially as electricity needs surge. US power demand is rising for the first time in decades, largely due to the boom in AI and the rapid expansion of data infrastructure.

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While financial terms were not disclosed, multi-decade power purchase agreements typically run into billions of dollars. The deal also gives Constellation the option to expand the Clinton plant's capacity by 30 megawatts.

Industry analysts say this could be the first of many similar arrangements between tech firms and nuclear providers. Joe Dominguez, CEO of Constellation, confirmed the company is in talks with other potential clients across the country.

For now, Meta's move is expected to serve as a model for how technology companies can help sustain existing nuclear plants, offering a bridge between today's energy challenges and the clean power ambitions of tomorrow.