Meta bets 6.6 gigawatts on nuclear power for AI data centers

Meta just signed deals with three nuclear companies that will reshape how America powers its artificial intelligence boom. By 2035, these agreements could deliver enough clean electricity to run millions of homes — all funneled into the data centers that train and run AI systems.

Here's what's happening: Meta needs vastly more electricity than traditional grids can reliably provide. Training large language models and running inference at scale demands constant, firm power — the kind that doesn't flicker when the sun sets or the wind dies down. Nuclear delivers that. So Meta is essentially betting that advanced nuclear technology can solve what has become one of AI's biggest practical constraints.

Three Bets on the Nuclear Future

The first deal is with Oklo, a startup building a new nuclear campus in Pike County, Ohio. They're targeting 1.2 gigawatts of capacity by 2030 — enough to power roughly 1 million homes, all flowing into the regional grid to support Meta's operations there.

The second is with TerraPower, the company backed by Bill Gates that's developing Natrium reactors. Meta's funding will support two new units capable of producing 690 megawatts, with options for six more units totaling 2.1 gigawatts. Delivery starts in 2032.

The third involves Vistra, which operates existing nuclear plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Meta is committing to 20-year contracts for over 2.1 gigawatts from two operating plants — Perry and Davis-Besse in Ohio, plus Beaver Valley in Pennsylvania — while also funding expansions at all three. These will be the largest nuclear uprates ever backed by a single corporate customer.

Added together, these agreements could deliver up to 6.6 gigawatts of new and existing clean energy by 2035. That's roughly equivalent to the total electricity consumption of New York City.

What makes this significant isn't just the scale. It's the signal. Meta — one of the world's largest tech companies — is publicly betting that advanced nuclear is the answer to AI's energy problem. That carries weight with investors, regulators, and other tech companies watching to see how the industry will actually decarbonize while scaling up.

The deals also prop up America's nuclear supply chain. New reactor projects mean jobs in manufacturing, construction, and operations. The Oklo campus alone is expected to create thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent operational positions. For communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania where nuclear plants operate, this means sustained economic activity over decades.

There's a practical timeline here too. The first new capacity arrives in 2030 — not a distant promise, but within this decade. By 2035, these projects could be delivering power. That matters because AI demand is growing now, not in some theoretical future.

This isn't to say nuclear is a silver bullet. Construction delays happen. Regulatory approval takes time. But Meta's commitment signals that the industry sees advanced nuclear not as a nice-to-have backup, but as essential infrastructure. As other tech giants face similar electricity constraints, expect more announcements like this one.