Zuckerberg opening his own nuclear power plan to fuel Meta's AI
Meta has cut a 20-year deal to secure nuclear power to help meet surging demand for artificial intelligence and other computing needs at Facebook's parent company.
Meta has struck a 20-year agreement to tap into nuclear power, bolstering energy resources for the growing AI demands at Facebook's parent company.
This partnership will also boost the production of Constellation Energy's Illinois nuclear facility. The deal unveiled on Tuesday reflects a burgeoning trend of tech giants partnering with nuclear energy providers as AI usage soars, though financial specifics were not revealed.
Constellation's Clinton Clean Energy Center, which faced shutdown in 2017 due to financial woes, was rescued by an Illinois law that created a zero-emission credit program sustaining the plant until 2027. Meta's deal kicks in June 2027, coinciding with the end of the state-funded emission credits.
- Mom shoots child molester she 'found trying to rape her daughter in motel'
- CNN anchor rips into Elon Musk over 'drug induced bladder problems
Meta's commitment will increase Clinton's clean energy generation by 30 megawatts, secure 1,100 jobs, and generate $13.5 million yearly in local taxes, as per the companies' statements.
"Securing clean, reliable energy is necessary to continue advancing our AI ambitions," remarked Urvi Parekh, head of global energy at Meta.
The rise in investments in small nuclear reactors comes as large tech firms grapple with two major demands: the need to boost their energy supply for AI and data centers, while also striving to meet their long-term objectives of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions largely stem from the combustion of fossil fuels like gasoline, oil, and coal.
Although nuclear energy produces waste, it does not emit carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases.
Constellation, the owner of the now-defunct Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, announced in September that it intended to restart the reactor so that tech behemoth Microsoft could secure power for its data centers. Three Mile Island, situated on the Susquehanna River just outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was the site of the country's most severe commercial nuclear power accident in 1979.
In addition, last fall, Amazon revealed it was investing in small nuclear reactors, just two days after a similar announcement by Google. Furthermore, Google declared last month that it was investing in three advanced nuclear energy projects with Elementl Power.
U.S. states have been positioning themselves to cater to the tech industry's power needs as policymakers contemplate expanding subsidies and eliminating regulatory hurdles.
According to the Nuclear Energy Institute, 25 states passed legislation last year supporting advanced nuclear energy, and over 200 bills have been introduced this year in favor of nuclear energy.
Competing companies are flooding the federal government's regulatory pipeline with advanced reactor designs, promoting them as a dependable, eco-friendly solution to meet the electricity demands of tech giants eager to power their rapidly expanding artificial intelligence platforms.
Tech behemoths like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have also been investing in solar and wind technologies, which generate electricity without emitting greenhouse gases.
On Tuesday, shares of Baltimore-based Constellation Energy Corp. remained steady.
