Meta Platforms has signed a 20-year agreement to purchase the full output of the Clinton Clean Energy Center, a nuclear plant in Illinois operated by Constellation Energy, marking the tech giant's first direct deal with a nuclear facility. The announcement sent Constellation shares soaring more than 15% on Tuesday.
The deal, set to begin in June 2027, involves the purchase of 1.1 gigawatts of power-enough to supply about 800,000 U.S. homes-from the plant's single reactor. The Clinton facility had been relying on Illinois' zero-emissions credit program since 2017, but the subsidy is scheduled to expire that same year. Meta's purchase agreement effectively provides a financial backstop, supporting the plant's continued operation and relicensing through 2047.
"We are proud to partner with Meta," said Joe Dominguez, president and CEO of Constellation Energy. "They figured out that supporting the relicensing and expansion of existing plants is just as impactful as finding new sources of energy."
The terms of the financial arrangement were not disclosed, but the agreement includes a plan to expand the plant's output by 30 megawatts. The electricity will not be delivered directly to Meta's data centers, but will instead flow into the regional grid, helping Meta meet its broader goal of sourcing 100% clean electricity.
Urvi Parekh, head of global energy at Meta, said, "Securing clean, reliable energy is necessary to continue advancing our AI ambitions. 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."
Constellation, the largest producer of carbon-free energy in the U.S., has been aggressively marketing nuclear as a long-term clean power solution for data-heavy industries. In September, the company said it would restart the Three Mile Island Unit 1 reactor under a separate 20-year deal with Microsoft.
The Clinton plant began operations in 1987 and previously applied to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a license extension. Constellation is now also considering building a small modular reactor (SMR) at the site. While no SMRs are operational in the U.S. yet, several companies-including Kairos Power and Oklo-have secured government support and tech partnerships aimed at bringing the modular designs to market.
Meta's move follows similar clean energy commitments from other tech giants. In March, Meta joined Amazon and Google in signing a pledge with the World Nuclear Association to triple global nuclear energy output by 2050. Amazon has invested over $500 million in SMR development and recently acquired a data center powered by the Susquehanna nuclear plant. Google is supporting three next-generation nuclear sites, including projects tied to Kairos Power.
