Nuclear agreements between Meta and Vistra, TerraPower, and Oklo
Nuclear agreements between Meta and Vistra, TerraPower, and Oklo
On Friday, Meta announced nuclear power agreements with three companies, Vistra, TerraPower, and Oklo, to support sizable existing facilities and encourage the development of cutting-edge reactor designs.
Why it matters: It’s the most recent indication that large tech firms are pursuing nuclear as a source of electrons for creating and utilizing AI models.
By 2035, the combined plans will “support” up to 6.6 gigawatts of new and existing capacity, according to the tech giant.
The news is being driven by 20-year power purchase agreements with Vistra’s Perry and Davis-Besse plants in Ohio, as well as support for “uprates”—expansion of generation—from those two plants and Vistra’s Beaver Valley plant in Pennsylvania.
These kinds of agreements with tech giants promote extended lifespans for these decades-old reactors, but the energy from those facilities enters the PJM system.
Regarding advanced reactors, Meta is helping TerraPower, a company founded by Bill Gates, commercialize its Natrium reactor.
Regarding advanced reactors, Meta is helping TerraPower, a company founded by Bill Gates, commercialize its Natrium reactor.
According to the statement, it is assisting in the financing of two units with a combined capacity of 690 MW of power that might be delivered as early as 2032.
According to the statement, Meta also has “rights” to electricity from up to six further Natrium units that are “capable of producing 2.1 GW and targeted for delivery by 2035.”
Next steps: Plans to construct an “advanced It’s helping finance two units that can provide a combined 690 MW of power with delivery as early as 2032” will be advanced through a separate agreement with Oklo, a tiny reactor company sponsored by Sam Altman.
According to the statement, Meta also has “rights” to electricity from up to six further Natrium units that are “capable of producing 2.1 GW and targeted for delivery by 2035.”
What comes next: Plans to construct an “advanced nuclear technology campus” in Pike County, southern Ohio, will be pushed through a separate cooperation with Oklo, a small reactor company supported by Sam Altman.
It would provide up to 1.2 GW and go online as early as 2030. The PJM grid, where Meta operates, would also be powered by it.
Yes, but no particular financing details were mentioned in the announcements.
However, according to Meta, the agreements give Oklo and TerraPower “greater business certainty” and “can raise capital to move forward with these projects.”
Flashback: Last year, Meta and Constellation struck a 20-year agreement for Meta to purchase roughly 1.1 gigawatts of nuclear power from Constellation’s Illinois facility. This announcement was made on Friday.
And among the IT giants supporting nuclear is Meta.
Google and Kairos Power reached an agreement for Google to purchase electricity from a new fleet of cutting-edge reactors to power its data centers.
To develop nuclear, Amazon has teamed up with Dominion Energy and Energy Northwest.
Microsoft agreed to restart the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania over a 20-year period.
Reality check: It’s still unclear how long it will take to develop new, sophisticated reactor designs and whether or when initial goals will eventually be realized.
In summary, “Our agreements with Vistra, TerraPower, Oklo, and Constellation make Meta one of the most significant corporate purchasers of nuclear energy in American history,” stated Joel Kaplan, chief global affairs officer of Meta.