WattsApp: Meta’s Energy Boost Just Went Nuclear
Meta strikes its biggest energy deal yet—securing 1,121 megawatts of nuclear power to fuel its AI expansion, while Constellation eyes a new reactor in Illinois.
Meta Platforms Inc. has made a bold move to secure its energy-hungry artificial intelligence future. In a landmark deal, the tech giant behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp signed a 20-year agreement with Constellation Energy Corp. to purchase nuclear power from the Clinton Power Station in Illinois. The deal, which begins in mid-2027, will supply Meta with 1,121 megawatts of steady, zero-emission electricity—enough to power nearly a million homes.
This isn’t just another long-term energy contract. It marks a dramatic turnaround for the Clinton plant, which was once on the brink of shutdown due to financial headwinds. In 2017, then-owner Exelon Corp. warned of closure, citing an inability to compete with cheaper natural gas and renewable energy. That changed when Illinois stepped in with a 10-year subsidy. Now, as that subsidy nears expiration, Meta is stepping up with a lifeline that could redefine the future of nuclear power in the AI era.
Constellation, the largest nuclear power operator in the U.S., is not only promising to keep Clinton running—it’s also investing to increase the plant’s output. Even more ambitiously, the company is actively considering building a second reactor on-site. With federal approvals already in place for a second unit, talks are intensifying. CEO Joe Dominguez says the Clinton site is a “logical place” to expand nuclear capacity, especially with demand from AI companies continuing to skyrocket.
Artificial intelligence is triggering a tidal wave of electricity demand, and nuclear power is emerging as the industry’s quiet backbone. While solar and wind projects receive much of the public spotlight, their intermittent nature means they can’t meet AI’s relentless, 24/7 energy appetite. Unlike coal or natural gas, nuclear provides a stable and carbon-free supply—something that companies like Meta are now aggressively prioritizing.
Meta’s electricity consumption has exploded, nearly tripling between 2019 and 2023. The Clinton contract is its largest energy procurement to date. Just months ago, Microsoft inked a similar deal with the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania. Amazon and Google are also in the race, backing small-scale nuclear ventures. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, even stepped down from his role as chairman of Oklo Inc.—a next-gen nuclear startup—to avoid conflicts of interest as OpenAI explores potential partnerships.
The ripple effects are already being felt in the market. Constellation shares surged as much as 9.1% after the announcement. Nuclear-focused stocks across the board saw gains, with Vistra Corp. up 5.1% and Oklo climbing a remarkable 12%. Even Meta shares saw a modest early lift before settling lower.
Behind the stock movements is a deeper shift. Big Tech’s power demands are forcing the entire energy industry to rethink its strategies. Microsoft has openly acknowledged that its push into AI has compromised its carbon-negative goals. Google’s emissions have soared by nearly 50%. Meta’s move into nuclear is not just about optics—it’s a necessity.
The energy math doesn’t lie. Without breakthroughs in next-generation energy technologies, the grid won’t be able to keep up with AI’s pace. Meta knows this. That’s why, in addition to the Clinton deal, it’s soliciting proposals for up to 4 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity across the U.S., targeting the early 2030s. So far, about 50 proposals have landed on their desk—including one from Constellation.
The Clinton agreement is designed to fill the gap in the meantime. Once the state subsidy expires in 2027, there was real concern over who would buy electricity from the plant. Urvi Parekh, Meta’s global head of energy, explained that the company wanted to ensure that Clinton remained a viable nuclear site. In doing so, Meta is not only securing power for itself—it’s giving Constellation the runway to think bigger.
Constellation is already in talks with multiple customers to replicate this model. Dominguez hinted that similar deals could be finalized in the next 6 to 12 months, particularly at other Illinois plants where subsidies are also phasing out. And if one of the big tech players commits to supporting a new reactor build, it could break the industry-wide logjam created by the troubled Vogtle project in Georgia, which went years over schedule and cost more than double its original budget.
Clinton now stands as a blueprint for what’s possible when energy security, technological ambition, and industrial pragmatism align. Nuclear power, once seen as a fading relic, is being reimagined as the foundation for AI’s electrified future. And Meta, a company often criticized for its massive data center footprint, is helping lead the charge—one nuclear megawatt at a time.
Conclusion
Meta’s nuclear deal isn’t just about keeping the lights on. It’s a declaration that the AI revolution demands serious, scalable infrastructure—and that the tech elite can no longer rely solely on intermittent renewables or the hope of energy breakthroughs that may never come. As AI grows hungrier by the hour, nuclear energy is stepping back into the spotlight, not as a relic of the past, but as the keystone of a new digital-industrial era.