An aging nuclear power plant, which has been on the brink of closure since 2017, has received a significant boost with a new agreement from Meta. This collaboration, announced today, promises to support the plant's operations for the next 20 years. Partnering with the energy company Constellation, Meta aims to enhance the plant's operations while simultaneously working to reduce its carbon footprint.
Located in Illinois, the facility known as the Clinton Clean Energy Center was originally set to shut down in 2017 after experiencing years of financial losses. Thanks to a tax credit established by the state for carbon pollution-free energy, the plant managed to continue its operations, albeit only until 2027. With Meta stepping in, the plant now enjoys financial security beyond that date, although the specific investment amount has not been disclosed.
This new partnership is expected to provide sufficient funding for the plant to implement necessary upgrades, which will increase its energy output by an impressive 30 megawatts, bringing its total capacity to 1,121 MW. To put this into perspective, the first offshore wind farm in the United States, which operates with just five turbines off the coast of Rhode Island, has a capacity of 30 MW and can supply power to approximately 17,000 homes.
In addition to expanding energy output, keeping the Clinton power plant operational is projected to save around 1,100 local jobs and generate enough electricity to power approximately 800,000 homes. Originally licensed in 1987, Constellation has applied to renew the plant's operating license through 2047.
This partnership marks Meta's first power purchase agreement for nuclear energy, a type of deal companies typically engage in with renewable energy projects to offset their greenhouse gas emissions. The Clinton Clean Energy Center not only produces electricity but also generates clean energy attributes, which serve as certificates representing the environmental benefits of producing carbon-free energy. The revenue from these attributes is intended to encourage the development of more clean energy solutions, ultimately leading to reduced emissions in the power grid.
Meta is acquiring an undisclosed amount of these clean energy attributes to align with a portion of its electricity consumption. The company has set an ambitious goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. However, its recent sustainability report reveals that its carbon footprint has increased since 2019, largely due to a heightened focus on AI technologies. Similarly, tech giants like Google and Microsoft have also reported rising emissions in tandem with growing energy demands from AI.
Meta is currently facing opposition regarding its plans for building its largest data center yet in Louisiana. The local utility has proposed constructing three new gas plants to support this data center, highlighting the ongoing tension between meeting AI energy demands and their environmental impact. This situation has contributed to the revitalization of the nuclear power industry in the United States.
In a related development, Microsoft announced a deal with Constellation last year aimed at bringing a decommissioned reactor at Three Mile Island back online. Following the lead of Amazon and Google, Meta is also supporting the advancement of next-generation nuclear reactor technology. The company issued a request for proposals for nuclear projects that could add between 1,000-4,000 MW of new generation capacity in the U.S. by the early 2030s. According to Meta, this initiative is ongoing, with the company in “final discussions” with a shortlist of potential projects after receiving over 50 proposals. Constellation is also exploring the possibility of developing an advanced nuclear reactor at the Clinton site.
