Meta inks 20-year deal with Illinois nuclear plant to power its AI

07/22/2025 / By Ramon Tomey

Meta Platforms signed a 20-year agreement with Constellation Energy to support Illinois’ Clinton nuclear plant, ensuring its operation beyond 2027 and expanding output to meet AI energy demands.
Tech giants (Microsoft, Google, Amazon) are increasingly pursuing nuclear power as a reliable, low-carbon solution for data centers amid soaring electricity needs from generative AI.
AI’s rapid adoption has disrupted sustainability plans, with U.S. data centers projected to consume 12 percent of national electricity by 2028 – triple current levels – due to model training and inferencing demands.
While renewables cover 24 percent of U.S. data center power, fossil fuels (mainly gas) dominate. Nuclear (15 percent) is gaining traction for scalability, though short-term gaps persist (e.g., Meta’s Louisiana gas plants).
Meta’s bet highlights the tension between AI growth and climate goals. Experts urge broader tech adoption of nuclear to mitigate AI’s environmental impact while maintaining competitiveness.

A race to meet the energy demands of artificial intelligence (AI) has led Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to strike a 20-year deal to support an Illinois nuclear plant.

Meta’s June 2025 agreement with Maryland-based Constellation Energy seeks to keep the Clinton Clean Energy Center beyond its current licensing period while expanding its output. The Clinton, Illinois plant – operational since 1987 – was set to lose state subsidies in 2027 prior to Constellation’s deal with the Big Tech firm.

The deal is part of a broader push by technology companies like Microsoft, Google and Amazon to secure reliable, low-carbon electricity for data centers. It signals a growing shift by Big Tech toward atomic energy as AI’s electricity demands skyrocket.

The unexpected surge in generative AI adoption has upended tech firms’ sustainability plans, forcing them to rethink energy strategies. Though renewables like solar and wind supply nearly a quarter of U.S. data center power, fossil fuels – primarily natural gas – still dominate.

Urvi Parekh, head of global energy at Meta, said in early June that “this plant is an important piece to strengthening American leadership in energy.” She continued: “Securing clean, reliable energy is necessary to continue advancing our AI ambitions.” (Related: Meta secures 20-year nuclear deal to power AI expansion amid surging energy demands.)

AI’s dirty secret: Why Big Tech is scrambling for nuclear power

Nuclear, which provides a mere 15 percent, is now gaining traction as a scalable solution. France, where atomic energy supplies 75 percent of electricity, has positioned itself as an AI hub by leveraging this advantage. But in the U.S., the transition remains sluggish – with gas-fired plants likely meeting most short-term demand.

The tech giant’s deal underscores the urgency; the new agreement ensures its continued operation while aiding relicensing efforts. Constellation CEO Joe Dominguez noted similar talks are underway with other tech firms. “Meta has given us a backstop,” he said, allowing reinvestment to extend the plant’s lifespan.

Experts warn the AI boom could push U.S. data centers to consume up to 12 percent of national electricity by 2028 – triple the current levels. Training AI models like Meta’s Llama requires vast computing power, while daily tasks like chatbot queries (inferencing) add to the load. Cooling these systems further strains grids, often requiring water-intensive methods.

Though Meta’s move signals long-term nuclear optimism, its near-term energy plans still rely on gas. In Louisiana, Entergy is rushing to build gas plants for a Meta data center complex – highlighting the gap between ambition and reality.

For now, the nuclear bet offers a partial answer to an existential question: Can AI grow without deepening the climate crisis? The answer may hinge on whether more tech firms follow Meta’s lead.

Check out Nuclear.news for more similar stories.

Watch Suzanne Hamner explaining why data centers are massive resource users in this video.

This video is from the Hamner It Out channel on Brighteon.com.