Meta Turns To Nuclear Power To Meet Growing AI Energy Demand

Meta announced new partnerships focused on expanding nuclear energy capacity in the United States to support the growing energy demands of its artificial intelligence data centers. The decision follows more than a year of internal studies and aligns with a broader industry trend to secure stable, large-scale power sources for AI infrastructure. According to the company, the initiative aims to strengthen the U.S. energy grid while enabling the deployment of new AI-focused data centers.

Rising energy consumption has become a significant challenge for the AI sector. Estimates from 2024 suggest that by 2030, global AI operations could consume more electricity than the entire population of India. This projected demand has intensified the search for energy sources capable of delivering high output with lower environmental impact. Meta positions nuclear power as a clean and reliable option to meet these requirements.

The company announced three major partnerships with TerraPower, Oklo, and Vistra. Together, these agreements are expected to deliver a combined capacity of more than 6.6 gigawatts (GW) by 2035. Meta states that the investments will support both existing facilities and the development of new data centers without increasing energy costs for consumers—an issue that has generated controversy in similar projects.

Under the agreements, TerraPower will construct two new generators capable of supplying up to 690 megawatts (MW), along with access to six additional generators providing up to 2.1 GW of capacity. Oklo plans to build a new nuclear facility in Pike County, Ohio, with a projected capacity of 1.2 GW. Vistra will expand existing plants in Ohio to add 433 MW and will also supply an additional 2.1 GW through acquisitions.

Beyond energy supply, Meta highlights broader economic benefits, including the creation of thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of long-term operational roles. The company also emphasizes the role of these investments in reinforcing the national power grid.

While the initiative currently focuses on the United States, Meta indicates that similar partnerships could be considered in other regions in the future, depending on the success of these projects and local infrastructure conditions.

Filed in Robots. Read more about AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Meta.