Meta Bets Big on Nuclear to Fuel Its AI Expansion

Meta has secured a series of major nuclear energy deals to power its growing artificial intelligence operations. The company announced three separate partnerships aimed at securing a stable, large-scale electricity supply for its data centers, including the new 1-gigawatt 'Prometheus' supercluster under construction in Ohio.

The agreements, with power companies Vistra, TerraPower, and Oklo, are projected to deliver approximately 6.6 gigawatts of generation capacity to Meta's projects by 2035. A contract with TerraPower will finance two new advanced reactors, capable of producing up to 690 megawatts, with a target operational date of 2032. Meta also secured rights to energy from six additional TerraPower reactors, potentially adding 2.1 gigawatts. These 'Natrium' reactors utilize liquid sodium for cooling instead of water.

Through a deal with Oklo, Meta expects to bring 1.2 gigawatts of nuclear power online around 2030, a project the company says will generate thousands of jobs in Ohio. Notably, OpenAI's Sam Altman is a significant investor in Oklo. A third agreement with Vistra focuses on extending the life and increasing the output of existing nuclear plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania, securing over 2.1 gigawatts for Meta.

This move is part of a broader industry shift. Last year, Meta signed a 20-year nuclear power agreement with Constellation Energy. Microsoft has also entered a long-term deal to be the sole customer of the reopened Three Mile Island facility, highlighting the tech sector's growing reliance on nuclear energy to meet the substantial power demands of advanced AI systems.

Source: Engadget