Meta’s AI Dream Runs on Nuclear Energy in New 20-Year Power Agreement

Meta has struck a long-term agreement to secure nuclear energy for its AI and data center operations, ensuring the continued operation of a key Illinois power plant.

Under the 20-year deal announced on 3 June, Meta will purchase 1.1 gigawatts of electricity from Constellation’s Clinton Clean Energy Center beginning in 2027.

Meta stated:

“As we look toward our future energy needs in advancing AI, we recognize the immense value of nuclear power in providing reliable, firm electricity.”

As Meta ramps up its AI ambitions—integrating generative models into Facebook, Instagram, and automating ad creation by 2025—it faces a soaring demand for energy.

AI infrastructure requires immense computational power, and the International Energy Agency warned in April that data center electricity use could more than double by 2030, surpassing Japan’s current consumption.

The partnership helps keep the Clinton facility, a vital nuclear plant in southern Illinois, online without relying on the state’s Zero Emission Credit programme.

Meta says the deal will also preserve over 1,100 jobs, inject $13.5 million annually into local tax revenues, and expand the grid with 30 megawatts of additional capacity.

Lawmakers, including Rep. Regan Deering (R-IL), welcomed the move as a “forward-thinking investment” that secures both economic and energy resilience.

Clinton Nuclear Plant Faced Shutdown in 2017 Despite Top Performance and Rising Costs

Once slated for closure in 2017 due to sustained financial losses—despite being one of Illinois’ top-performing nuclear plants—the Clinton Clean Energy Center was rescued by the state’s Future Energy Jobs Act.

The legislation created the Zero Emission Credit (ZEC) programme, which kept the facility operating through mid-2027.

Now, thanks to Meta’s new energy agreement, the Clinton plant will remain online beyond that deadline—without relying on taxpayer-funded support, Constellation announced on 3 June.

The impact of closing Clinton would have been significant.

A March analysis by the Brattle Group projected that its shutdown would result in over 34 million metric tons of additional carbon emissions over two decades—the equivalent of adding 7.4 million gasoline-powered cars to the roads for a year.

Economically, the loss would have been just as severe, with an estimated $765 million annual hit to Illinois’ GDP.

Meta’s partnership not only secures the plant’s future but reflects a broader strategy: the company says it is actively exploring additional nuclear energy partnerships through ongoing requests for proposals, as it seeks to meet the immense energy demands of AI development while advancing its climate goals.

After announcing the initiative last December, Meta noted:

“[We] are in final discussions with a shortlist of potential projects to meet our 1-4 gigawatt target.”