TL;DR
Meta has struck deals with TerraPower, Oklo and Vistra to secure 6.6 gigawatts of nuclear energy by 2035 for its AI data center projects. The company will fund new reactor construction and says it will cover the full energy costs for its data centers; financial terms were not disclosed.
What happened
Meta announced agreements with three nuclear energy providers — TerraPower, Oklo and Vistra — aimed at supplying roughly 6.6 gigawatts of power to support its expanding AI infrastructure by 2035. That capacity is presented as comparable to the electricity needs of a small country. The deals include Meta funding the construction of new reactors, with the first unit possibly entering service as early as 2030. These arrangements feed into Meta’s planned AI installations, including Prometheus, the first of several supercluster systems that Meta expects to bring online in New Albany, Ohio, later this year. The company has previously worked with Constellation to revive an older nuclear plant. Meta says it will pay the full costs for energy consumed by its data centers; specific financial details of the new agreements have not been released. Meta framed the purchases as a substantial corporate commitment to nuclear power in the U.S.
Why it matters
- Secures large-scale, long-duration power for Meta’s growing AI computing needs.
- Represents a notable corporate commitment to financing new nuclear capacity in the United States.
- Could set a precedent for how hyperscalers source electricity for energy-intensive AI infrastructure.
- Adds to ongoing industry and policy conversations about the role of nuclear power in meeting future data center demand.
Key facts
- Agreements signed with TerraPower, Oklo and Vistra to supply nuclear-generated electricity.
- Combined expected capacity from these deals is 6.6 gigawatts by 2035.
- Meta will finance construction of new nuclear reactors tied to the agreements.
- The first of those new reactors could come online as early as 2030.
- Meta’s Prometheus supercluster, a major AI system, is slated to start operations in New Albany, Ohio later this year.
- Meta previously signed a deal with Constellation to restart an aging nuclear power plant.
- TerraPower is described in the source as backed by Bill Gates; Oklo is described as backed by Sam Altman.
- Meta says it will cover the full costs for energy used by its data centers; detailed financial terms were not disclosed.
- Meta’s chief global affairs officer characterized the company as one of the largest corporate purchasers of nuclear energy in American history.
What to watch next
- Progress and construction timelines for the new reactors, including whether any units meet the 'as early as 2030' target.
- Disclosure of financial terms and contract structures for these nuclear-power agreements (not confirmed in the source).
- Regulatory approvals and permitting timelines for the new reactor projects (not confirmed in the source).
Quick glossary
- Gigawatt (GW): A unit of power equal to one billion watts, commonly used to describe large-scale electricity generation capacity.
- Data center: A facility used to house computer systems and associated components such as telecommunications and storage systems.
- Nuclear reactor: A device in which nuclear chain reactions are initiated, controlled and sustained to generate heat, often used to produce electricity.
- Supercluster: A very large, high-performance computing system made by linking many servers and accelerators to run advanced AI workloads.
Reader FAQ
How much power will Meta’s deals provide?
The agreements are expected to deliver about 6.6 gigawatts of energy by 2035.
Which companies are involved?
Meta announced deals with TerraPower, Oklo and Vistra; it has also worked previously with Constellation.
When will any new reactors begin operating?
Meta says the first new reactor tied to these deals could come online as early as 2030.
How much did Meta pay for these agreements?
Financial details have not been released in the source.
Will consumers bear the costs?
Meta states it will pay the full costs for energy used by its data centers so consumers do not bear those expenses.
NEWS AI SCIENCE Meta expands nuclear power ambitions to include Bill Gates’ startup The agreements will see Meta fund the construction of new nuclear reactors to power its AI data…
Sources
- Meta expands nuclear power ambitions to include Bill Gates’ startup
- Meta Announces Nuclear Energy Projects, Unlocking Up to …
- Meta signs 3 deals for nuclear energy to power AI data …
- Meta signs deals with three nuclear companies for 6-plus …
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