WASHINGTON (AP) – META has terminated 20-year contracts to secure nuclear power in order to address the rising demands of artificial intelligence and other computing needs at its parent company, Facebook.
Investment with Meta will also boost the production capabilities of energy and nuclear power plants within the Illinois constellation.
Announced on Tuesday, this agreement represents the latest in a series of advanced nuclear partnerships fueled by increasing AI usage. The financial specifics of the contract have not been disclosed.
Constellation’s Clinton Clean Energy Center was slated for closure in 2017 after experiencing years of financial losses. Illinois law preserved the facility. We will implement a Zero Emissions Credit Program to support the plant by 2027. This contract will go into effect in June 2027, coinciding with state taxpayer funding for the Zero Emissions Credit Program.
Meta’s involvement is expected to enhance clean energy output at Clinton by 30 megawatts, preserving 1,100 local jobs and generating an annual tax revenue of $13.5 million. Currently, the facility produces energy equivalent to what would power a U.S. home valued at around $800,000. According to George Gross, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Illinois, the additional 30 megawatts should suffice to meet the annual energy requirements of a city with approximately 30,000 residents.
“To continue to pursue our AI ambitions, we must ensure a clean and reliable energy supply,” stated Urvi Parekh, global energy director at Meta.
The surge in investment for small reactors comes at a time when major tech companies face two pressing demands: the need to boost energy supply for AI and data centers, while also striving to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the long run.
Constellation, owner of the decommissioned 3 Mile Island Nuclear Power Station, mentioned in September that they plan to restart the reactor. This move enables Tech Giant Microsoft to secure energy for its data centers. The 3 Mile Island site, located along the Susquehanna River near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was the scene of the worst commercial nuclear accident in U.S. history in 1979.
Last fall, Amazon announced its investment in small reactors just two days after a similar announcement from Google. Furthermore, Google revealed last month its plans to invest in three advanced nuclear energy projects in collaboration with Elementl power.
U.S. states are positioning themselves to meet the power needs of the high-tech industry as policymakers contemplate expanding subsidies and removing regulatory hurdles.
In the previous year, 25 states enacted laws to promote advanced nuclear energy, and this year, over 200 nuclear energy-related bills have been introduced by lawmakers.
Advanced reactor designs from various competitors are currently navigating the federal regulatory pipeline, promoting the industry as a viable, climate-friendly option to meet the electricity demand of high-tech giants eager to expand in the rapidly growing artificial intelligence sector.
However, it remains unlikely that the U.S. will quadruple its nuclear production in the next 25 years, contrary to White House hopes. The nation currently lacks a commercially operated next-generation reactor and has only constructed two new large nuclear reactors from the ground up in nearly 50 years. These two reactors at Georgia’s nuclear power plants have encountered years of delays and an estimated budget exceeding $17 billion.
In addition to nuclear, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are investing in solar and wind technologies, providing electricity without generating greenhouse gas emissions.
Shares of Baltimore-based Constellation Energy Corp. remained unchanged on Tuesday.
Source: apnews.com