Meta’s AI data centers get nuclear boost equal to 5 million homes

It takes a lot of "juice" to power all those teens staring into their Iphones!

Meta’s AI data centers get nuclear boost equal to 5 million homes

Meta just agreed to buy 6.6 gigawatts of power for its AI data centers, making it one of the biggest buyers of nuclear in American history

By Niamh Rowe, Quartz Media

Jan 12, 2025

Meta has signed a series of multi-gigawatt nuclear energy contracts to power its sprawling network of artificial intelligence data centers, a move that could make it one of the largest corporate buyers of nuclear power in American history.

The agreements, announced Friday, could supply more than 6 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power a city of roughly 5 million homes, according to Bloomberg's estimates.

Meta has inked 20-year agreements to buy energy from three Vistra nuclear plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and has also partnered with nuclear developers Oklo and TerraPower, the latter of which is funded by billionaire Bill Gates, to support new reactor projects that could come online later this decade.

The deals are designed to secure reliable, long-term and low-carbon electricity as the social media giant scales up its data infrastructure to support its advanced AI applications.

Under the Vistra contracts, Meta will purchase power from three existing nuclear facilities, including the Perry and Davis-Besse plants in Ohio and Beaver Valley in Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, partnerships with Oklo and TerraPower involve building smaller reactors, with planned capacities that could eventually contribute hundreds of additional megawatts.

Meta did not disclose financial terms for the latest contracts, but investors have responded positively. Shares in both Oklo and Vistra climbed more than 13% on Friday morning, as of 10:15 EST.

This isn't Meta's first foray into nuclear. Last year, it signed an agreement with Constellation Energy to help preserve operations at the Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois by securing a long-term buyer for its output. That contract helped ensure continued generation from a plant that might otherwise have faced retirement.

Together, the agreements will "make Meta one of the most significant corporate purchasers of nuclear energy in American history," Joel Kaplan, Meta's chief global affairs officer, said.

The deals reflect the broader energy challenges facing hyperscalers, which are grappling with how to power ever-larger AI data centers while meeting climate commitments and mitigating grid strain. Nuclear power, with its consistent output and low emissions, is emerging as a key component of meeting those needs.

Meta is "investing in nuclear energy because it provides clean, reliable power that is essential for advancing our AI ambitions and strengthening American leadership in energy innovation," Urvi Parekh, Head of Global Energy at Meta, noted.

Across the board, hyperscalers are racing to source the power needed to meet demand for AI infrastructure, with Google and Microsoft also looking to nuclear for long-term, carbon-free energy sources to sustain exponential growth in compute. While nuclear plants require significant time and investment to build and maintain, their ability to deliver consistent power makes them attractive as AI infrastructure scales.