Meta signs deals with three nuclear companies for 6-plus GW of power

Meta contiguous announced 3 deals to supply its information centers with atomic power, 1 from a startup, 1 from a smaller vigor institution and 1 from a larger institution that already operates respective atomic reactors successful the U.S.

Oklo and TerraPower, 2 startups processing tiny modular reactors (SMR), each signed agreements with Meta to physique aggregate reactors, portion Vistra is selling capableness from its existing powerfulness plants.

Nuclear powerfulness has go a favored powerfulness root for tech companies arsenic their AI ambitions person grown, providing unchangeable 24/7 electricity. Startups and existing reactors person benefitted from the contention for information halfway power, though successful antithetic ways.

Existing reactors thin to beryllium the cheapest signifier of baseload capacity, but determination are lone truthful galore to spell around, which has pushed Meta and its peers toward SMR startups. Companies similar Oklo and TerraPower are betting that by gathering a ample fig of smaller reactors, they’ll beryllium capable to bring the outgo down done wide manufacturing. It’s a plausible hypothesis, though 1 that has yet to beryllium tested. Meta’s woody could springiness SMR startups a accidental to beryllium it.

The deals are the effect of a request for proposals that Meta issued successful December 2024, successful which Meta sought partners that could adhd betwixt 1 to 4 gigawatts of generating capableness by the aboriginal 2030s. Much of the caller powerfulness volition travel done the PJM interconnection, a grid which covers 13 Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states and has go saturated with information centers.

The 20-year statement with Vistra volition person the astir contiguous interaction connected Meta’s vigor needs. The tech institution volition bargain a full of 2.1 gigawatts from 2 existing atomic powerfulness plants, Perry and Davis-Besse successful Ohio.

As portion of the deal, Vistra volition besides adhd further capableness to those powerfulness plants and to its Beaver Valley powerfulness works successful Pennsylvania. Together, the upgrades volition make an further 433 MW and are scheduled to travel online successful the aboriginal 2030s.

Meta is besides buying 1.2 gigawatts from young supplier Oklo. Under its woody with Meta, Oklo is hoping to commencement supplying powerfulness to the grid arsenic aboriginal arsenic 2030. The SMR institution went nationalist via SPAC successful 2023, and portion Oklo has landed a large woody with information halfway relation Switch, it has struggled to get its reactor plan approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

If Oklo tin present connected its timeline, the caller reactors would beryllium built successful Pike County, Ohio. The startup’s Aurora Powerhouse reactors each nutrient 75 megawatts of electricity, and it volition request to physique much than a twelve to fulfill Meta’s order.

TerraPower is simply a startup co-founded by Bill Gates, and it is aiming to commencement sending energy to Meta arsenic aboriginal arsenic 2032. It has designed a reactor that uses molten sodium to transportation vigor from reactor to generator. When request is low, the superheated brackish tin beryllium stored successful an insulated vat until much powerfulness is needed. The reactor tin make 345 megawatts of electricity, portion the retention strategy tin supply an further 100 to 500 megawatts for much than 5 hours. 

The institution has navigated the NRC process much smoothly, and it is moving with GE Hitachi to physique its archetypal powerfulness works successful Wyoming. Its archetypal 2 reactors for Meta would supply 690 megawatts, and Meta said it has rights to bargain different six units for a full of 2.8 gigawatts of atomic capableness and 1.2 gigawatts of storage.

Meta did not disclose fiscal presumption of the deals. 

The powerfulness purchases from Vistra are definite to beryllium the cheapest — energy from already operating atomic reactors is among the cheapest connected the grid. 

Costs for SMRs inactive person yet to beryllium worked out. Several startups person assertive outgo targets: TerraPower has estimated that it tin bring it down to $50 to $60 per megawatt-hour, portion Oklo has said it is aiming for $80 to $130 per megawatt-hour. Those figures are for aboriginal powerfulness plants — the archetypal examples are apt to outgo more.