Meta's Nuclear Leap: A 6.6 GW Bet to Power the AI Revolution

WASHINGTON, DC – January 09, 2026 – In one of the largest corporate clean energy procurements in U.S. history, Meta has committed to purchasing 6.6 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear power, a landmark move that signals a profound strategy shift among technology giants to quench the colossal energy thirst of artificial intelligence.

The series of agreements, set to bring the full capacity online by 2035, was lauded by the Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA) as a historic milestone. The investment underscores a critical pivot in corporate sustainability, moving beyond intermittent renewables to secure vast quantities of constant, carbon-free electricity, known as “clean firm” power, to ensure the 24/7 reliability demanded by next-generation data centers and AI supercomputers.

A New Blueprint for Corporate Power

Meta's 6.6 GW commitment is not a single transaction but a complex portfolio of deals with multiple energy providers, strategically blending existing nuclear assets with cutting-edge advanced reactor technologies. The agreements are designed to power the grids supporting its rapidly expanding operations, including the massive 1 GW “Prometheus supercluster” computing facility under development in New Albany, Ohio.

The largest portion of the deal involves over 2.1 GW of power from three existing nuclear plants operated by Vistra Corp.: Perry and Davis-Besse in Ohio, and Beaver Valley in Pennsylvania. Meta’s 20-year power purchase agreements provide the financial certainty for Vistra to invest in “uprates” that will add 433 megawatts of capacity, while also pursuing 20-year license renewals that could extend the plants' operational lives to 80 years.

Significantly, Meta is also becoming a key financial catalyst for the next generation of nuclear technology. The company is backing the development of two advanced Natrium reactors from TerraPower, a company co-founded by Bill Gates, which are expected to deliver 690 MW as early as 2032. The deal includes rights to energy from up to six additional Natrium units, bringing the potential total to 2.1 GW. In a separate pact, Meta is supporting a 1.2 GW power campus in Pike County, Ohio, that will feature multiple Aurora Powerhouse reactors from Oklo Inc., a firm backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The first phase of the Oklo campus is targeted for a 2030 launch.

This multi-pronged approach highlights a new playbook for Big Tech. While Meta has matched its electricity use with renewable energy since 2020, the exponential energy demands of AI have made its 2030 net-zero value chain target increasingly difficult. This pivot to nuclear is a pragmatic recognition that solar and wind power alone cannot provide the unwavering baseload energy required to power the digital future.

Beyond Renewables: Nuclear's Role in a Digital Grid

Meta's investment is a powerful endorsement of nuclear energy's role as a critical grid stabilizer in an era of accelerating electrification. As data centers become the heavy industrial plants of the 21st century, the need for a reliable, carbon-free power source that operates independently of weather conditions has become paramount. Nuclear power provides this stability, complementing the variable output of wind and solar installations and ensuring the grid can handle immense, constant loads.

The focus on advanced reactors like TerraPower’s Natrium and Oklo’s Aurora is particularly noteworthy. These Generation IV designs promise enhanced safety features, greater efficiency, and modular construction that could eventually lower costs compared to the large-scale reactors of the past. TerraPower’s Natrium, a sodium-cooled fast reactor, includes an integrated energy storage system, allowing it to flexibly dispatch power to the grid. Oklo’s Aurora Powerhouse uses a similar fast-neutron design intended for smaller, scalable deployment.

By providing development funding and long-term purchase commitments, Meta is helping to de-risk these first-of-a-kind technologies, accelerating their path through the rigorous Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensing process and toward commercial viability. This corporate backing provides the project certainty needed to build out complex supply chains and navigate the financial hurdles inherent in pioneering new energy infrastructure.

The Geopolitics of Gigawatts

This move is not happening in a vacuum. It is part of a fierce, unfolding race among the world's largest technology companies to secure the power needed to win the AI arms race. Microsoft has signed deals to help restart the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, Google is backing the construction of small modular reactors from Kairos Power, and Amazon Web Services has acquired a data center campus directly connected to a nuclear plant in Pennsylvania.

Seen through this lens, Meta's procurement is a strategic maneuver for economic and technological dominance. By investing in domestic energy production, the company helps fortify the U.S. energy grid and bolsters national competitiveness. The construction and long-term operation of these nuclear projects are expected to create thousands of high-paying jobs in states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, strengthening the domestic nuclear supply chain after decades of stagnation.

Securing a reliable, clean, and domestic energy supply is becoming a critical component of industrial policy. As global competition in high-tech sectors intensifies, the ability to power innovation without relying on volatile international energy markets or compromising climate goals provides a significant strategic advantage.

A Catalyst for Policy and Market Reform

The sheer scale of corporate demand is now forcing a broader conversation about the nation's energy policy and market structures. In its commendation, CEBA stressed that scaling these clean energy solutions requires “continued progress on commonsense yet critical policies.”

“Meta's latest commitment — bringing 6.6 GW of reliable and advanced nuclear power to the grid — is one of the largest corporate purchases of clean energy in history and demonstrates the critical role energy buyers are playing in meeting growing electricity demand and supporting economic growth,” said Rich Powell, CEBA CEO. “These investments support U.S. economic growth and global competitiveness, and we applaud Meta's leadership.”

Advocates argue that policy reform is essential to accelerate deployment. This includes streamlining the notoriously lengthy NRC licensing process for advanced reactors, creating market mechanisms within regional grids like PJM that properly value the reliability of “clean firm” power, and investing heavily in the transmission infrastructure needed to move electricity from new power sources to data center hubs. Meta's massive investment sends an undeniable market signal to policymakers and regulators that the energy landscape is changing rapidly. Corporate demand is no longer a passive factor but an active force driving the development of next-generation energy technology. This monumental investment serves as a clear declaration that the immense energy appetite of the digital age will be a primary force shaping the future of the American energy landscape for decades to come.