Meta is investing in US nuclear power — the company has signed a long-term clean energy supply agreement that will allow the Clinton Clean Energy Center to continue operating until at least 2047. This decision is aimed at ensuring electricity needs for the further development of artificial intelligence.
Meta is investing in US nuclear power — the company has signed a long-term clean energy supply agreement that will allow the Clinton Clean Energy Center to continue operating until at least 2047. This decision is aimed at ensuring electricity needs for the further development of artificial intelligence.
Meta’s partnership with Constellation Energy was announced in a company statement. The agreement guarantees 20 years of financial support for the Clinton Clean Energy Center nuclear power plant in Illinois. The facility was scheduled to be decommissioned in 2027, but thanks to Meta’s investment, its operation will continue.
The plant will supply the company with 1,121 megawatts of «emission-free» electricity, and will also have a backup capacity for additional production of another 30 MW. According to Meta, such energy is necessary for the stable functioning of data centers, particularly in the context of the rapid growth of needs for AI services.
The Clinton Clean Energy Center was built in 1987 and supports more than 1,100 jobs in the region, generating about $13.5 million in tax revenue annually. Back in 2016, the state of Illinois extended the life of the plant through the Future Energy Jobs Act and the Zero Emission Credit (ZEC) program, which expires in 2027. The new contract with Meta will avoid closure and potential increases in carbon emissions.
Clinton Clean Energy Center is one of the few nuclear power plants in the United States that has been kept operational through public-private partnerships. In 2023, Plant Vogtle, the first new nuclear power plant in the United States in decades, was completed. With growing energy demand and grid instability, facilities like Clinton could be the key to energy security and decarbonization.
Constellation CEO Joe Dominguez emphasized that maintaining existing nuclear capacity is as much of a green energy contribution as building new sources. According to a study by The Brattle Group, closing the plant would result in an additional 34 million tons of CO₂ emissions over 20 years, equivalent to the impact of 7.4 million gasoline cars per year.
As a reminder, our news feed also featured an article about Meta’s collaboration with defense startup Anduril to develop new products for the US military, including an artificial intelligence-based helmet with virtual and augmented reality features.
