Meta Secures 6.6 GW Nuclear Power: Largest Tech-Nuclear Deal in History

Meta committed to 6.6 gigawatts of nuclear power on January 9, 2026. The announcement transformed three nuclear startups from speculative ventures into validated enterprises with the largest corporate nuclear commitment in American history.

The three-partner deal combines existing nuclear plants with advanced small modular reactors (SMRs), creating a blueprint that other hyperscalers will likely follow. Vistra provides immediate capacity from operational plants. TerraPower and Oklo deliver next-generation reactors that promise to reshape data center power economics by 2035.

TL;DR

Meta signed agreements with Vistra, Oklo, and TerraPower for up to 6.6 GW of nuclear power by 2035. Vistra will supply 2.6 GW from existing Ohio and Pennsylvania plants, including 433 MW of new capacity uprates. Oklo will build an advanced reactor campus in Pike County, Ohio, delivering up to 1.2 GW by 2034. TerraPower will construct up to eight Natrium reactors providing 2.8 GW of baseload power plus 1.2 GW of integrated storage. Power deliveries begin in late 2026, with full capacity online by 2035.

The Three-Partner Structure

Meta structured the deal to balance immediate power needs with long-term infrastructure development. Each partner serves a distinct role in the overall energy strategy.

Vistra: Existing Nuclear Fleet

Vistra provides the foundation with 2,609 MW from three operational nuclear plants in the PJM region.¹

Meta will purchase 2,176 MW of existing generation plus 433 MW of capacity uprates—the largest nuclear uprates supported by a corporate customer in U.S. history.² The uprates represent more than 15% of contracted capacity as new generation added to the PJM grid.³

Power deliveries begin in late 2026, with additional capacity coming online through 2034.⁴ The 20-year power purchase agreements provide Vistra with revenue certainty to pursue subsequent license renewals extending each reactor an additional 20 years.⁵

TerraPower: Natrium Sodium-Cooled Reactors

Bill Gates-founded TerraPower will construct up to eight Natrium reactors for Meta, providing 2.8 GW of baseload capacity paired with 1.2 GW of integrated energy storage.⁶

The Natrium design uses molten sodium to transfer heat from reactor to generator. When electricity demand drops, superheated salt stores thermal energy in insulated tanks until peak periods require additional output.⁷ The integrated storage capability addresses renewable intermittency concerns without separate battery infrastructure.

TerraPower cleared a critical milestone in December 2025 when the Nuclear Regulatory Commission completed a final safety evaluation of the Natrium design for the Wyoming demonstration project.⁸ Meta's first two Natrium units target 2032 operations, with six additional units potentially online by 2035.⁹

Oklo: Aurora Fast Reactors

Oklo will develop an advanced reactor campus in Pike County, Ohio, with up to 1.2 GW of capacity using Aurora fast reactors.¹⁰

Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO, holds a 4.3% stake in Oklo worth approximately $650 million—creating an unusual connection between competing AI infrastructure strategies.¹¹ Oklo went public in 2024 through a special purpose acquisition company that Altman co-founded.¹²

The Aurora design operates as a liquid metal-cooled fast reactor capable of running for over a decade without refueling. Oklo initially developed a 1.5 MWe design but recently announced an upsized 75 MWe version to meet surging data center demand.¹³

Pre-construction and site characterization begin in 2026, with first-phase operations targeted for 2030 and full capacity by 2034.¹⁴

Power Capacity Breakdown

The 6.6 GW total distributes across different timelines and technology types.

The staged approach provides risk mitigation. Vistra's existing plants deliver immediate capacity while advanced reactors complete development and licensing. If SMR timelines slip—a realistic concern given regulatory uncertainty—Meta maintains baseload power from proven facilities.¹⁵

Economic Analysis

Cost Targets

TerraPower and Oklo have published aggressive cost projections for mature reactor deployments.¹⁶

First-of-a-kind units will cost substantially more. TerraPower's Wyoming demonstration project carries a $4 billion budget, supported by Department of Energy funding.¹⁷ Meta's willingness to purchase power from early commercial units suggests acceptance of premium pricing to secure capacity and accelerate learning curves.

Capacity Factor Advantage

Nuclear power delivers capacity factors that renewables cannot match, particularly for AI workloads requiring 24/7 availability.¹⁸

A 100 MW solar installation generates approximately 20-25 MW average output. An equivalent nuclear facility produces 92-94 MW consistently. For AI training clusters requiring uninterrupted power, nuclear eliminates the overbuilding and storage requirements that plague renewable-only strategies.¹⁹

Grid Connection Benefits

Meta's data centers connect to the PJM Interconnection, which serves 65 million people across 13 states and the District of Columbia. Vistra's plants already feed into PJM, eliminating interconnection queue delays that can extend 4-6 years for new generation.²⁰

The geographic proximity matters. Perry and Davis-Besse sit within 100 miles of Meta's Prometheus supercluster in New Albany, Ohio. Direct grid connection reduces transmission losses and congestion costs compared to remote renewable installations.²¹

Regulatory Pathway

Vistra's Existing Plants

Vistra faces minimal regulatory hurdles for existing capacity. All three plants hold valid operating licenses, and the NRC has approved initial license renewals.²² The 433 MW uprate program requires NRC approval but follows established precedents for capacity increases at operating facilities.

The 20-year PPAs provide revenue certainty for Vistra to pursue subsequent license renewals. Davis-Besse's 2037 expiration approaches soonest—Meta's commitment strengthens the economic case for continued operation through 2057.²³

TerraPower's Natrium

TerraPower holds the most advanced regulatory position among SMR developers. The NRC completed final safety evaluation of the Natrium design in December 2025, moving the Wyoming demonstration into final review stages.²⁴

The Wyoming project, located in Kemmerer on the site of a retiring coal plant, broke ground in June 2024—the first commercial advanced reactor construction in the United States.²⁵ DOE cost-sharing reduces TerraPower's financial risk while establishing regulatory precedents applicable to Meta's contracted units.

For Meta's units, TerraPower must secure combined construction and operating licenses for specific sites. The Wyoming precedent should accelerate subsequent approvals, though each site requires independent environmental review.²⁶

Oklo's Aurora

Oklo faces the longest regulatory path. The NRC denied Oklo's initial Aurora license application in January 2022, citing insufficient technical information.²⁷ The company has not resubmitted a final design application as of 2025.

Oklo's 2030 target requires submitting a combined license application in 2026, obtaining approval by 2028, and completing construction in two years. This timeline assumes no regulatory delays—an optimistic scenario given the NRC's track record with novel reactor designs.²⁸

"We're very eyes-wide-open that the schedule is challenging, but we think it's important to be bold," said Urvi Parekh, Meta's director of global energy.²⁹

Comparison to Other Tech Nuclear Deals

Meta's 6.6 GW commitment dwarfs previous tech-nuclear partnerships.

Microsoft's 20-year agreement to restart Three Mile Island Unit 1 generated headlines in 2024, but Meta's deal represents nearly 8x the capacity.³⁰ Google's Kairos Power agreement and Amazon's partnerships with utilities signal industry-wide nuclear interest, though none match Meta's scale.³¹

Infrastructure Implications

Grid Modernization Requirements

Adding 6.6 GW of nuclear capacity to PJM requires transmission infrastructure upgrades. The existing plants connect through established substations, but TerraPower and Oklo facilities will need new high-voltage interconnections.³²

PJM's interconnection queue already stretches beyond 2,500 projects totaling over 300 GW—primarily renewable energy seeking grid access.³³ Nuclear projects typically receive priority consideration due to firm capacity contributions, but queue management reforms remain contentious.

Data Center Power Density

Meta's Prometheus supercluster in New Albany represents the primary load for contracted nuclear capacity. The AI training facility will require power densities exceeding 100 kW per rack—levels that push cooling and distribution infrastructure to current limits.³⁴

Nuclear's reliability characteristics match AI training requirements: consistent baseload power without the intermittency management that complicates renewable-powered facilities. A 1 GW nuclear plant can sustain approximately 7,700 server racks at 130 kW density, assuming 92% capacity factor and standard distribution losses.³⁵

Workforce Development

Vistra's existing plants employ over 1,950 full-time workers across the three facilities.³⁶ The uprate projects will create approximately 3,000 additional jobs spanning engineering, construction, and outage work over nine years.³⁷

TerraPower and Oklo must develop specialized workforces for advanced reactor operations. Neither company has operated commercial facilities—Meta's commitment provides funding certainty for training programs that would otherwise face chicken-and-egg recruitment challenges.³⁸

Risk Factors

SMR Timeline Uncertainty

Advanced reactor development historically runs behind schedule. NuScale, the only SMR developer with NRC design certification, saw its Carbon Free Power Project canceled in 2023 due to cost overruns.³⁹ TerraPower's Wyoming project originally targeted 2028 operations before delays pushed the timeline to 2030.⁴⁰

Meta structured the deal to manage timeline risk. Vistra's existing plants provide immediate capacity independent of SMR development. If TerraPower or Oklo face delays, Meta can extend Vistra purchases or pursue alternative arrangements.⁴¹

Regulatory Risk

The NRC has never licensed a sodium-cooled fast reactor or a liquid metal fast reactor for commercial operation in the United States. Both designs operate internationally—Russia, China, and India have operated sodium-cooled reactors—but U.S. regulatory precedents remain limited.⁴²

The Trump administration's January 2025 executive orders target nuclear regulatory acceleration, but streamlining the NRC requires congressional action or extended rulemaking. Neither provides near-term relief for Meta's 2030-2032 timelines.⁴³

Cost Escalation

First-of-a-kind reactor projects consistently exceed initial cost estimates. TerraPower's $4 billion Wyoming budget has already increased from original projections, and per-MWh costs for initial units will substantially exceed mature fleet targets.⁴⁴

Meta's willingness to absorb premium pricing reflects strategic priorities beyond pure economics. Securing reliable, carbon-free power positions the company for sustainability reporting and potential carbon pricing regimes while establishing relationships with technology providers whose costs will decline with scale.⁴⁵

Strategic Implications

Validation of SMR Market

Meta's commitment transforms SMR vendors from speculative startups into companies with creditworthy offtake agreements. Oklo's order pipeline has grown from under 1 GW to approximately 14 GW, including a 12 GW master power agreement with data center operator Switch.⁴⁶

Investor confidence follows corporate commitments. Vistra's stock jumped on the Meta announcement, and both Oklo and TerraPower have attracted renewed interest from infrastructure funds seeking exposure to nuclear renaissance themes.⁴⁷

Competitive Dynamics

Other hyperscalers face pressure to secure nuclear capacity before SMR developers reach production constraints. Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have announced smaller nuclear partnerships, but available capacity from credible developers has become scarce.⁴⁸

The first movers—companies that locked in capacity before 2026—will likely receive priority allocation as production ramps. Latecomers may face extended timelines or premium pricing as demand outstrips manufacturing capacity.⁴⁹

Energy Independence

Meta's nuclear strategy reduces exposure to natural gas price volatility and renewable intermittency. AI training workloads require predictable power costs for multi-year model development cycles—nuclear's fixed fuel costs and high capacity factors provide cost certainty that merchant power markets cannot match.⁵⁰

What This Means for Data Center Operators

Infrastructure Planners

Meta's nuclear commitment signals a strategic shift from renewable-only approaches to diversified clean energy portfolios. Organizations planning large-scale AI infrastructure should evaluate nuclear options now, before remaining SMR capacity commits to competitors.

The PJM region's existing nuclear fleet provides immediate capacity for organizations willing to structure long-term PPAs. Vistra operates additional plants beyond the Meta-contracted facilities, and Constellation's fleet includes similar opportunities in the Mid-Atlantic.⁵¹

Operations Teams

Nuclear-powered data centers require different operational approaches than renewable-connected facilities. Baseload power eliminates the demand response and load shifting that characterize renewable strategies. Cooling systems can operate at consistent capacity rather than fluctuating with power availability.⁵²

The trade-off involves reduced flexibility. Nuclear plants cannot ramp output quickly—Meta's storage component through TerraPower addresses peak demands, but operators accustomed to flexible grid purchasing will need adapted operational frameworks.⁵³

Strategic Leadership

Nuclear commitments involve decade-long timelines and substantial counterparty relationships. Meta's three-partner structure distributes risk across existing capacity, near-term SMRs, and longer-term advanced reactors. Similar portfolio approaches may suit organizations seeking nuclear power without single-vendor dependency.⁵⁴

The regulatory environment continues to evolve. Trump administration priorities favor nuclear development, but Congressional action determines long-term policy frameworks. Strategic leaders should monitor the NRC licensing docket and DOE cost-sharing programs for opportunities that align with facility timelines.⁵⁵

The Path Forward

Meta's 6.6 GW nuclear commitment establishes a template for hyperscaler energy strategy. The combination of existing capacity, advanced reactors, and integrated storage addresses both immediate needs and long-term growth.

Vistra delivers power starting late 2026. TerraPower and Oklo face challenging timelines, but Meta's financial commitment improves their odds of commercial success. By 2035, the nuclear campus in Ohio could power one of the world's largest AI training facilities with zero-carbon electricity.

Introl's 550 field engineers support data center infrastructure across 257 global locations, including high-density deployments that require the reliable power nuclear facilities provide. Contact us to discuss infrastructure requirements for next-generation AI facilities.

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