Meta has entered into a landmark 20-year agreement with Constellation Energy to secure nuclear power, supporting its surging computing and AI energy requirements. The deal, announced Tuesday, will not only guarantee clean energy for Meta’s infrastructure but also scale up production at Constellation’s Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois. While the financial terms were not revealed, the partnership signals a broader shift among tech giants toward nuclear energy to meet growing demands sustainably.
The Clinton plant, once facing closure in 2017 due to persistent financial struggles, was kept operational through Illinois’ zero-emission credit (ZEC) program, which expires in 2027. Meta’s agreement with Constellation will take effect from June 2027, ensuring the facility’s continuity beyond the expiration of public subsidies.
According to both companies, the collaboration will expand the plant’s output by 30 megawatts—enough to power a city of approximately 30,000 residents, as per George Gross, a University of Illinois professor of electrical and computer engineering. It will also safeguard 1,100 jobs and generate $13.5 million annually in local tax revenues. The facility currently generates electricity for the equivalent of 800,000 U.S. households.
“Securing clean, reliable energy is necessary to continue advancing our AI ambitions,” stated Urvi Parekh, Meta’s head of global energy.
This deal reflects a broader trend in the tech industry, where companies are balancing soaring energy needs with ambitious climate goals. As artificial intelligence drives demand for massive data center infrastructure, firms like Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google are increasingly turning to nuclear power as a dependable, zero-carbon energy source.
Constellation, also the owner of the dormant Three Mile Island nuclear plant, announced last year it planned to revive that site to support Microsoft’s data centers. Similarly, Amazon disclosed investments in small modular reactors just days after Google made a comparable announcement. Google recently committed to backing three advanced nuclear initiatives through a partnership with Elementl Power.
In response to tech-sector needs, U.S. state governments are also taking steps to adapt. Last year, 25 states passed laws promoting advanced nuclear technologies, and over 200 supportive bills have been introduced in 2025 alone, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute.
Yet, industry experts remain cautious about nuclear’s rapid scalability. The U.S. has no commercially operating next-generation reactors, and only two new large-scale reactors have been completed in the past 50 years—both in Georgia, with significant delays and cost overruns totaling over $17 billion.
Professor Gross also pointed to the need for major upgrades to the country’s aging transmission grid. “That’s my biggest concern,” he said, noting that grid investment has declined even as energy demand soars.
While nuclear plays a growing role, major tech firms continue to invest in solar and wind projects to diversify their clean energy portfolios.
