As its appetite for computing power grows, Meta is turning to an unlikely ally: nuclear energy. The company announced a slate of deals that could make it one of the largest corporate nuclear power buyers in the country, a calculated move to secure the steady electricity its AI ambitions and data centers increasingly demand.
The company has partnered with TerraPower, Oklo, and Vistra on a set of projects expected to support up to 6.6 gigawatts of new and existing clean energy capacity by 2035. The effort is projected to create thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of long-term operational positions.
“Our agreements with Vistra, TerraPower, Oklo, and Constellation make Meta one of the most significant corporate purchasers of nuclear energy in American history,” said Joel Kaplan, Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer. “Nuclear energy will help power our AI future, strengthen our country’s energy infrastructure, and provide clean, reliable electricity for everyone.”
The move highlights the widening gap between the power needs of AI-driven infrastructure and the limits of regional electricity grids. With its ability to deliver firm, carbon-free power 24/7, nuclear energy is emerging as a practical way to meet those demands at scale.
Meta’s targets both next-generation technology and existing infrastructure:
1. Investing in the Future (TerraPower & Oklo): Meta is providing early-stage funding to developers of advanced nuclear reactors. Its agreement with TerraPower supports the development of two Natrium reactor units, with potential rights to energy from six more by 2035. TerraPower President and CEO Chris Levesque stated the agreement is “designed to support the rapid deployment of our Natrium technology that provides the reliable, flexible, and carbon-free power our country needs.”
The agreement with Oklo centers on developing a new nuclear campus in Pike County, Ohio, with the first facilities potentially coming online as early as 2030. Oklo CEO Jacob DeWitte described Meta’s backing as “a major step in moving advanced nuclear forward,” saying it helps turn a long-held vision for next-generation nuclear power in Ohio into something tangible.
2. Extending the Present (Vistra): In a direct boost to the existing grid, Meta will purchase over 2.1 GW of energy from Vistra’s operating nuclear plants in Ohio (Perry and Davis-Besse) and Pennsylvania (Beaver Valley). The deal includes support for capacity expansions (“uprates”) at these plants, which Vistra says will be the largest such uprates ever backed by a corporate customer in the U.S.
“This agreement is beneficial in many ways, it powers American innovation and AI technology, while allowing us to extend the operational life of these plants, boost the capacity of the nuclear reactors to support the grid, protect existing jobs while creating new ones,” said Jim Burke, Vistra’s President and CEO.
The electricity from the projects is intended to support Meta’s AI infrastructure expansion, including the “Prometheus” AI supercluster in New Albany, Ohio. According to the company, innovation at this scale “requires more electricity, and that’s where nuclear energy comes in.”
According to Meta, the company fully covers the energy costs of its data centers and structures its long-term procurement to fund new grid capacity, avoiding any impact on existing electricity supply for consumers.
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