Meta signed a 20-year agreement with Constellation Energy to secure nuclear power for meeting rising energy needs from AI infrastructure, announced on June 3rd. The deal will expand Clinton Clean Energy Center's output by 30 megawatts, preserve 1,100 local jobs and generate $13.5 million in annual tax revenue. The agreement takes effect in June 2027, when the state's taxpayer-funded zero-emission credit programme expires.
The Illinois nuclear plant was originally slated to close in 2017 after years of financial losses but was saved by Illinois legislation establishing a zero-emission credit programme until 2027. George Gross, professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Illinois, estimates that 30 additional megawatts would be enough to power a city with about 30,000 residents for one year, whilst the plant currently powers the equivalent of about 800,000 US homes. Urvi Parekh, Meta's head of global energy, states that securing clean, reliable energy is necessary to continue advancing AI ambitions.
Meta's nuclear deal represents the latest in tech-nuclear partnerships, following Amazon and Google's announcements of investments in small nuclear reactors, and Constellation's September announcement to restart the Three Mile Island reactor for Microsoft's data centres. A US Department of Energy report released last year estimated that electricity needed for data centres tripled over the past decade and is projected to double or triple again by 2028, when it could consume up to 12% of the nation's electricity.
Sources:
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MATT OTT
2.
Matt O’Brien, Associated Press
3.
AP
