Meta Platforms has struck a 20-year agreement to purchase nuclear power from Constellation Energy, marking the social media giant's first major foray into nuclear energy as it seeks to power its growing artificial intelligence operations.

The deal will see Meta buy the entire output from Constellation's Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois, approximately 1.1 gigawatts of capacity, beginning in June 2027. The agreement comes as the plant's state subsidy programme is set to expire, potentially threatening its continued operation.

"We are proud to partner with Meta because they asked that important question, and even better, they figured out that supporting the relicensing and expansion of existing plants is just as impactful as finding new sources of energy," said Joe Dominguez, president and chief executive officer of Constellation. "Sometimes the most important part of our journey forward is to stop taking steps backwards."

The Clinton facility, located roughly 150 miles southwest of Chicago, generates enough electricity to power approximately 800,000 homes. Under the agreement, Constellation will invest in upgrades to boost the plant's output by an additional 30 megawatts whilst preserving over 1,100 local jobs.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, though Dominguez indicated it involves "billions of dollars of capital" to operate the plant for another two decades. The arrangement will enable Constellation to apply for federal relicensing and implement necessary upgrades and maintenance.

Meta's power purchase agreement represents a market-based solution that replaces the plant's zero emission credit programme without burdening ratepayers. The electricity will continue flowing to the regional grid rather than directly powering Meta's data centres, allowing the company to offset its carbon footprint elsewhere.

"Securing clean, reliable energy is necessary to continue advancing our AI ambitions," said Urvi Parekh, head of global energy at Meta. "We are proud to help keep the Clinton plant operating for years to come and demonstrate that this plant is an important piece to strengthening American leadership in energy."

The deal follows a broader trend of technology companies partnering with nuclear operators to meet surging energy demands from artificial intelligence and data centre operations. Constellation previously agreed to restart Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island plant under a similar 20-year contract with Microsoft.

Constellation shares rallied more than 15 per cent following the announcement. The company is also evaluating the potential to build additional reactors at the Clinton site, including small modular reactor technology.

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