The parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp has entered into a 20-year agreement to procure energy from the Clinton plant starting in mid-2027, coinciding with the expiration of a state subsidy, as indicated in a statement released Tuesday. Constellation, the largest nuclear operator in the US, did not disclose financial specifics.
This contract highlights the intense energy needs of technology firms to operate data centers and AI. Nuclear energy is particularly valued for its continuous availability and its low emissions of greenhouse gases.
As part of the agreement, Constellation will enhance the output of the Clinton facility. The company is also exploring plans to construct an additional reactor at Clinton, which has already received federal approval for a second unit.
“It’s a sensible approach for us to engage with Meta, and others, about possibly developing the next generation of facilities,” Constellation CEO Joe Dominguez mentioned in an interview. “Those discussions are already in progress.”
Last year, Constellation announced plans to invest $1.6 billion to reopen its decommissioned Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania, with all output allocated to Microsoft Corp. Despite a strong interest from tech firms in new reactors, energy producers are cautious about committing to substantial nuclear investments, particularly following Southern Co.’s experience with its Vogtle project in Georgia, which faced significant delays and budget overruns.
A major tech partner could provide the necessary backing for Constellation to proceed with a new reactor, Dominguez stated, marking a crucial development for the sector. He is assessing a wide array of potential technologies for the site, from small reactors currently in development to the larger AP1000 design that Southern implemented in Georgia.
The agreement with Meta represents a notable resurgence for the Clinton facility, which has roughly 1,100 megawatts of capacity—sufficient to power approximately 1 million homes. The previous owner, Exelon Corp., had considered shutting down the site in 2017 as nuclear operators nationwide faced challenges competing with low-cost natural gas and renewable energy sources. The company reversed its decision following the approval of a 10-year state subsidy in Illinois.
Constellation operates other nuclear plants in Illinois that currently receive state subsidies set to expire within the next few years. Dominguez mentioned he is in discussions with several clients regarding additional contracts similar to the one with Meta. He anticipates that a new agreement could be finalized in the coming six to twelve months.
This contract represents Meta’s largest power agreement to date, as noted by Urvi Parekh, the company’s global head of energy. The organization has shown a growing interest in nuclear energy to support its operations, recently announcing a search for proposals for up to 4 gigawatts of new nuclear facilities in the US. To date, it has received approximately 50 proposals from various firms, including Constellation.
The initiative aims to deliver power to the grid in the early 2030s, whereas the Clinton agreement is regarded as a short-term strategy. With subsidies nearing expiration, Meta and Constellation emphasized their commitment to ensuring the plant’s competitiveness.
“It was uncertain who would be interested in purchasing electricity from this facility,” Parekh stated in an interview. “We want to secure that this site continues to function as a nuclear power location, enabling Constellation to creatively explore capacity expansion possibilities in the future.”
