Meta has signed three agreements to secure nuclear power for its data centers, partnering with two small modular reactor startups and one established utility as it seeks up to 4 gigawatts of around the clock electricity to support its growing AI operations.
Partners And Project Scope
The deals involve Oklo and TerraPower, which are developing small modular reactors, and Vistra, a large energy company that operates existing nuclear plants in the United States. Oklo and TerraPower will build multiple new reactors, while Vistra will sell electricity from plants it already runs. Nuclear power has become a preferred source for technology companies because it delivers continuous baseload energy, which data centers require.
Meta began the process in December 2024 when it issued a request for proposals seeking partners that could add between 1 and 4 gigawatts of generating capacity by the early 2030s. Much of the electricity will be delivered through the PJM interconnection, which serves 13 Mid Atlantic and Midwestern states and has become heavily used by data centers.
Vistra Supplies Immediate Capacity
The largest near term impact will come from Meta’s 20 year agreement with Vistra. Under the deal, Meta will buy 2.1 gigawatts of power from Vistra’s Perry and Davis Besse nuclear plants in Ohio. Vistra will also expand those facilities and add output at its Beaver Valley plant in Pennsylvania. The combined upgrades are expected to produce an additional 433 megawatts and are scheduled to come online in the early 2030s.
Electricity from existing nuclear reactors is among the cheapest baseload power available, making Vistra’s supply likely to be the lowest cost component of Meta’s nuclear portfolio.
Oklo Small Reactor Deployment
Meta also agreed to purchase 1.2 gigawatts from Oklo, a small modular reactor company that went public through a SPAC in 2023. Oklo hopes to start delivering power to the grid by 2030. The company already has a contract with data center operator Switch but has faced delays in securing regulatory approval for its reactor design from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
If Oklo meets its schedule, the reactors for Meta would be built in Pike County, Ohio. Each of Oklo’s Aurora Powerhouse reactors generates 75 megawatts, which means more than a dozen units would be needed to meet Meta’s order.
TerraPower Reactor And Storage System
TerraPower, a startup co founded by Bill Gates, plans to begin supplying Meta with electricity as early as 2032. Its reactor uses molten sodium to transfer heat from the core to a generator, and it includes a storage system that holds superheated salt when demand is low and releases it when more power is needed.
Each TerraPower reactor can generate 345 megawatts, while the storage component can add between 100 and 500 megawatts for more than five hours. The company is working with GE Hitachi to build its first plant in Wyoming and has progressed through the NRC approval process more smoothly than Oklo. The first two reactors for Meta would deliver 690 megawatts. Meta also holds rights to buy up to six more units, which would bring the total to 2.8 gigawatts of nuclear capacity and 1.2 gigawatts of storage.
Cost Targets And Pricing
Meta did not release financial terms for any of the agreements. Power from Vistra’s existing reactors is expected to be the cheapest, since operating nuclear plants already provide low cost electricity. Costs for small modular reactors are still uncertain. TerraPower has estimated future plants could reach $50 to $60 per megawatt hour, while Oklo has said it is targeting $80 to $130 per megawatt hour, with early projects expected to be more expensive.
Featured image credits: artpixel.com
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