Meta Platforms has positioned itself as corporate America’s most aggressive buyer of nuclear energy through agreements that secure capacity. The social media giant announced deals with TerraPower, Oklo, and Vistra that will support 6.6 gigawatts of clean energy by 2035, enough electricity to power approximately five million homes. Senior finance analysts at Trilessyum note these agreements dwarf comparable commitments from Amazon, Microsoft, or Alphabet in both scale and strategic ambition.

The Prometheus Imperative

Meta’s Prometheus AI supercluster under construction in New Albany, Ohio, represents the physical manifestation of this energy strategy. The one-gigawatt facility is designed to support the development of personal superintelligence for billions of users worldwide. Such ambitious computing goals require reliable baseload power that intermittent renewable sources cannot provide alone, given the continuous operation of AI workloads.

Data center operators face a fundamental mismatch between construction timelines and the availability of energy, according to industry observers. Facilities can become operational within two to three years, while new nuclear plants require decade-long development cycles. This temporal gap explains why Meta simultaneously secures existing atomic capacity and invests in future reactor construction to ensure long-term supply.

Small Modular Reactor Economics

Agreements with TerraPower and Oklo center on small modular reactor technology, promising faster deployment and lower capital costs. These advanced designs aim to deliver power by 2030 through 2035; however, industry observers note that such timelines often extend during the actual development process. Building new nuclear capacity costs approximately $13 to $24 per watt, depending on specific technology choices and site conditions.

Lead brokers at the brand explain that Meta’s electricity costs could reach $141 to $220 per megawatt-hour for nuclear energy. This compares to roughly $50 to $60 for gas, wind, or solar alternatives available in most markets. The premium reflects nuclear power’s carbon-free status and its reliable, around-the-clock operation, which is independent of weather conditions.

The Carbon Commitment Premium

Meta is paying substantial premiums for nuclear power to maintain its carbon-free operational commitments, even as some competitors relax their environmental pledges. This strategic choice reflects calculations about long-term brand value and regulatory positioning as governments worldwide implement stricter emissions standards. The company views carbon-free energy as a competitive advantage, rather than merely a compliance cost.

Nuclear energy provides advantages beyond carbon reduction, according to financial experts analyzing energy market dynamics. Fuel costs remain relatively stable compared to the volatility of natural gas, driven by geopolitical disruptions and supply shocks. Round-the-clock operation eliminates the need for battery storage or backup generation typically required for wind and solar installations.

Grid Reliability and Job Creation

The nuclear agreements are expected to provide thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of long-term operational positions across Ohio and Pennsylvania communities. These projects add reliable power to existing grids while reinforcing America’s nuclear supply chain after decades of limited investment. Meta pays full costs for the energy used by its data centers, so consumers don’t bear these infrastructure expenses.

Junior financial experts at the brand note that the company supports broader grid stability through its energy agreements, which extend beyond securing capacity. This addresses community concerns about data centers straining local infrastructure without contributing new generation resources. The deals also help preserve continued investment in nuclear facilities that might otherwise face premature retirement due to economic pressures.

Advanced Reactor Technology Development

Meta’s agreement with TerraPower helps fund the development of two new Natrium reactors and energy storage systems by 2032. The company also secured rights for energy from up to six additional Natrium units targeted for delivery by 2035. These advanced reactors combine nuclear fission with molten salt energy storage, allowing for a flexible power output.

Finance analysts at the brand explain that Natrium technology represents a significant advancement over conventional reactor designs in both safety and economics. The storage component enables reactors to ramp up or down their output, matching grid demands while maintaining steady nuclear operations. This flexibility makes atomic power more compatible with intermittent renewable sources on modern electrical grids.\

Strategic Alignment

Oklo’s involvement carries particular significance given that the OpenAI CEO holds a 4.3% stake, valued at approximately $650 million. This creates an indirect alignment between Meta’s energy strategy and OpenAI’s competitive positioning in AI development, despite their fierce rivalry. Oklo’s 1.2 gigawatt power campus in Pike County, Ohio, is expected to begin operations by 2030, supporting regional data center growth.

This timeline positions the facility to support Meta’s expanding computational needs as AI models evolve into more sophisticated architectures. Current-generation systems already require exponentially greater processing power than previous iterations for training and inference operations.

Industry Transformation Signal

The agreements signal that energy access has become as strategically significant as semiconductor supply or talent acquisition in AI competition. Technology companies now compete directly with traditional utilities and industrial consumers for scarce power generation capacity. This competition drives investment in nuclear technology after decades of industry stagnation and limited new construction.

Leading financial experts note that Meta’s commitment to funding new reactor development addresses the chicken-and-egg problems plaguing the nuclear industry. Advanced atomic technology necessitates capital-intensive demonstration projects that traditional utilities struggle to finance due to regulatory uncertainty. Corporate partnerships provide certainty, enabling construction to proceed with long-term purchase agreements backstopping project economics.