Meta seeks nuclear power for AI, data center support

Meta is taking an open approach with its request to enable partnerships across the industry, according to its news release. The company hopes to partner with a nuclear developer who will ultimately permit, design, engineer, finance, construct, and operate the power plants.

Quotable: “Advancing the technologies that will build the future of human connection—including the next wave of AI innovation—requires electric grids to expand and embrace new sources of reliable, clean, and renewable energy,” Meta said. “We believe that nuclear energy can help provide firm, baseload power to support the growth needs of the electric grids that power both our data centers (the physical infrastructure on which Meta’s platforms operate) as well as the communities around them.”

“At Meta, we believe nuclear energy will play a pivotal role in the transition to a cleaner, more reliable, and diversified electric grid.”

A closer look: Meta wants to have up to four gigawatts of nuclear capacity starting in the early 2030s—enough energy to achieve material cost reductions by deploying multiple units.

The company has been investing in solar, wind, battery storage, and geothermal energy for more than a decade but wants to expand its reach.

“Nuclear energy projects are more capital intensive, take longer to develop, are subject to more regulatory requirements, and have a longer expected operational life,” Meta said. “These differences mean we need to engage nuclear energy projects earlier in their development lifecycle and consider their operational requirements when designing a contract.”

Other tech companies, including Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, have also announced plans for nuclear generation to support their energy-hungry data centers with baseload power that is both clean and reliable.

Other plans: Meta also announced plans this week to build a $10 billion, 1,500-MW data center in northeast Louisianna to support its AI efforts. The 4 million-square-foot facility—which at its largest point extends more than one mile from front to back—will be Meta’s largest, but will be powered using natural gas.

Meta is promising to match the data center’s electricity use with 100 percent clean and renewable energy. Since 2020, the company has found ways to match its entire annual electricity use with new renewable energy.

“Going forward, this commitment is more important than ever to support our vision of operating sustainably. As our sector continues to grow, we are committed to working across the industry to advance our sustainability commitments and transform the grid of the future,” Meta said.

What’s next? Meta is asking interested parties to complete an initial qualification intake for by January 3 and to submit a full RFP proposal by February 7.