Meta is switching to nuclear power for AI — everything we know

Meta Platforms has signed the long-term agreement with Constellation Energy that guarantees the supply of electricity from the Clinton Clean Energy Center nuclear power plant until at least 2047. For the tech giant, this is the first direct contract with the operating nuclear power plant, and at the same time, the tool for preserving low-carbon generating capacity amid rapid growth in demand from data centers and AI.

Reuters writes about it.

Why does Meta need to use the capacity of nuclear power plants?

For the first time in two decades, electricity consumption in the United States has begun to grow significantly due to the development of AI services and cloud data centers. The agreement signed by Meta should help the Clinton Clean Energy Center avoid closure after the state's zero-emissions programme, which compensated carbon-free electricity producers for part of their costs, expires in 2027. Commercial demand will now support Meta, and the plant's future operation is subject to approval by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which is considering an application to extend its license until 2047.

Urvi Parekh, Meta's Head of Global Energy Projects, noted that the company "needs the certainty that the existing plants will remain in service", while Constellation CEO Joe Dominguez added that the agreement creates the financial cushion needed to upgrade and re-license the facility. The company even plans to increase the installed capacity of Clinton by 30 MW to 1,151 MW, which is enough to supply electricity to about 800,000 households.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers trade union emphasizes that the Meta contract guarantees Clinton's specialists a "stable working environment". And while Constellation is negotiating with other potential customers, the Meta example could become a typical model for Big Tech companies to support existing nuclear power plants in parallel with the search for new low-carbon facilities to serve data centers.

At the same time, independent power producers are signing record agreements: last year, Constellation agreed to launch the Three Mile Island reactor for Microsoft's centers, and Vistra and NRG Energy announced large-scale acquisitions in the sector. Analysts predict that in 2025-2026, electricity consumption in the United States will reach a historic maximum, and nuclear generation will play a key role in meeting this demand.

As a reminder, Meta has officially unveiled the iPad version of WhatsApp, ending more than 15 years of expectations from users. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the company is already actively testing the tablet version of Instagram, which is currently used by Meta employees internally.

We also wrote that Meta has activated the live translation feature announced at Meta Connect 2024 for all countries where Ray-Ban smartphones are available. Owners of the device can now have conversations in English, French, Italian, or Spanish and receive translations in a convenient format.