- Meta signs 20-year deal to prop up Illinois nuclear energy facility
- Clinton Clean Energy Center was set to close in 2027
- Facility will provide 1,121 megawatts of “emissions-free nuclear energy”
Meta has revealed a deal to prop up a nuclear power plant over the next 20 years in what it says is a bid to power the continued demand for AI.
The Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois, owned by Constellation Energy, was due to be mothballed in 2027, but will now stay open thanks to Meta’s support.
The 20-year deal will see the facility provide 1,121 megawatts of “emissions-free nuclear energy”, with additional incremental capacity of 30MW if needed.
The deal will mark only the second US site to host a nuclear reactor built entirely this century, following Plant Vogtle, built in 2023 near Waynesboro, Georgia.
“As we have embarked on understanding and helping to grow nuclear energy in the U.S., we have heard from across the ecosystem that existing nuclear power plants will not be able to stay online indefinitely without partners and investments that help extend existing operating licenses and increase generation capacity,” Meta said in a statement.
“It’s clear that there are many nuclear power plants serving the U.S. that need long-term support to help our electricity grids remain reliable as energy needs grow.”
“Keeping an existing plant operating will have the same positive effect as adding new clean energy to the grid, and avoid the disruption that has occurred when other nuclear units have retired prematurely.”
Built in 1987, Meta says the Clinton Clean Energy Center support will also preserve over 1,100 local jobs and contributes $13.5 million annually in tax revenue.
The plant had been facing closure as long ago as 2017 due to financial pressure, but Illinois passed its Future Energy Jobs Act in 2016, which extended its operations via a zero-emission credit (ZEC) program. This was due to expire in 2027, but Meta’s support should now see it operate long past this.
“We are proud to partner with Meta because they asked that important question, and even better, they figured out that supporting the relicensing and expansion of existing plants is just as impactful as finding new sources of energy,” noted said Joe Dominguez, president and CEO, Constellation.
“Sometimes the most important part of our journey forward is to stop taking steps backwards.”
A March 2025 report commissioned by the firm and carried out by The Brattle Group claimed shuttering the Clinton plant would have led to 34 million metric tons of additional carbon pollution over 20 years – the equivalent of an additional 7.4 million gas-powered cars coming onto the road for one year – as well causing as Illinois’ GDP to drop by $765 million annually.
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