SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY

Meta lines up massive supply of nuclear power to energize AI data centers

Jan 9, 2026, 3:05 PM

FILE -A Meta logo is shown on a video screen at LlamaCon 2025, an AI developer conference, in Menlo...

FILE -A Meta logo is shown on a video screen at LlamaCon 2025, an AI developer conference, in Menlo Park, Calif., April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Meta has cut a trio of deals to power its artificial intelligence data centers, securing enough energy to light up the equivalent of about 5 million homes.

The parent company of Facebook on Friday announced agreements with TerraPower, Oklo and Vistra for nuclear power for its Prometheus AI data center that is being built in New Albany, Ohio. Meta announced Prometheus, which will be a 1-gigawatt cluster spanning across multiple data center buildings, in July. It’s anticipated to come online this year.

Financial terms of the deals with TerraPower, Oklo and Vistra were not disclosed.

The Mark Zuckerberg-led Meta said in a statement on Friday that the three deals will support up to 6.6 gigawatts of new and existing clean energy by 2035. A single gigawatt, according to a general industry standard for utilities, can power about 750,000 homes.

“These projects add reliable and firm power to the grid, reinforce America’s nuclear supply chain, and support new and existing jobs to build and operate American power plants,” the company said.

Meta said its agreement with TerraPower will provide funding that supports the development of two new Natrium units capable of generating up to 690 megawatts of firm power with delivery as early as 2032. The deal also provides Meta with rights for energy from up to six other Natrium units capable of producing 2.1 gigawatts and targeted for delivery by 2035.

Meta will also buy more than 2.1 gigawatts of energy from two operating Vistra nuclear power plants in Ohio, in addition to the energy from expansions at the two Ohio plants and a third Vistra nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania.

Vistra said that electricity from the three power plants — Beaver Valley in Pennsylvania and Davis-Besse and Perry in Ohio — will still run through the mid-Atlantic grid for all electricity customers. It also said the agreements with Meta “provide certainty” for it to ask federal regulators for 20-year license renewals for the reactors.

Tech companies have been under pressure in the stressed mid-Atlantic grid — which includes Ohio and Pennsylvania — to build new power sources to supply the entire electricity needs of their new data centers there.

Jesse Jenkins, an assistant professor of engineering at Princeton University who specializes in energy systems, said bringing Prometheus online without a new power source for it will only increase electricity rates across the mid-Atlantic grid.

Ratepayers in the mid-Atlantic are already paying higher electricity bills to support new and proposed data centers.

The deal with Oklo, which counts OpenAI’s Sam Altman as one of its largest investors, will help to develop a 1.2 gigawatt power campus in Pike County, Ohio to support Meta’s data centers in the region.

The nuclear power agreements come after Meta announced in June that it reached a 20-year deal with Constellation Energy.

___

Associated Press writer Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

Science + Technology

FILE - The OpenAI logo is seen displayed on a cell phone in Boston. OpenAI said it is still investi...

Matt O'Brien, AP Technology Writer

OpenAI blamed a hacking event on its AI models going rogue. Here are some things to know

ChatGPT maker OpenAI says it is still investigating the “unprecedented cyber incident” that led its artificial intelligence systems to break out of a testing environment and hack into another AI company. OpenAI said Tuesday two of its most capable AI models were responsible for the cyberattack targeting AI startup Hugging Face. The incident is stirring debates over the need […]

20 hours ago

FILE: Massive antennas, part of the Atacama Large Millimeter/ submillimeter Array (ALMA) radio tele...

Adithi Ramakrishnan, AP Science Writer

In a sweet discovery, astronomers find sugar lurking in the space between stars

Astronomers have detected a type of sugar, called erythrulose, in space that's also found in raspberries and self-tanners.

10 days ago

During a meeting of the Cache County Council on June 23, county official Brian Abbott presented a p...

Bryanna Willis

Cache County Council joins other Utah counties by placing a hold on data center approval

The Cache County Council has placed a temporary pause on approving data centers while city officials look into a data center's impact.

22 days ago

After the defeat of three Utah leaders who helped move the Stratos data center project forward, a r...

Tim Vandenack, KSL

Data center developers move forward despite voter backlash aimed at Sen. Adams, others

After the defeat of three Utah leaders who helped move the Stratos data center project forward, a rep from O'Leary Digital, the firm spearheading the plans, says the efforts will continue.

28 days ago

FILE - Computer scientist Fei-Fei Li speaks during the Clinton Global Initiative, Sept. 24, 2024, i...

Matt O'Brien, AP Technology Writer

All the world’s a robot-staging ground for tech entrepreneurs building ‘physical AI’

A growing number of AI entrepreneurs are dedicating themselves to models that teach AI systems how to react in a physical environment.

29 days ago

Sen. John Curtis speaks at the Scott C. Keller Business Building at UVU in Orem On May 4. Curtis in...

Cami Mondeaux, Deseret News

Kids are talking to AI more than ever. John Curtis wants rules to ensure their safety

Sen. John Curtis introduced a bipartisan bill on Tuesday to establish a federal framework regulating online chatbots, particularly as it relates to usage by teenagers and young children.

30 days ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Bear Lake

Road trip ready: How Bear Lake became the go-to destination for Western U.S. travelers

Whether you are chasing pristine beaches, fresh raspberry shakes, or endless water sports, this sponsored guide—brought to you in partnership with Bear Lake —uncovers everything you need to plan the ultimate getaway.   There’s nothing quite like the thrill of hopping in the car with your favorite snacks in tow and heading out for a […]

...

Harper Clinic

A new standard of care: How Harper Clinic’s IOP is changing the face of mental health treatment in Utah

This article is sponsored by Harper Clinic, a Utah-based clinic offering FDA-approved TMS therapy for treatment-resistant depression.    Utah’s mental health crisis is leaving many residents caught in an uncomfortable middle ground: struggling too much for weekly therapy alone, but unable to step away from work, parenting or daily life for inpatient treatment. As demand […]

...

Harper Clinic

Breaking free from depression: How Harper Clinic’s TMS Therapy can help

This article is sponsored by Harper Clinic, a Utah-based clinic offering FDA-approved TMS therapy for treatment-resistant depression.    The weight of depression is real. Many people spend years fighting it, adjusting medications, managing side effects and wondering if this is simply how life is going to feel.   According to the World Health Organization, depression affects […]

mental health...

Andrew Adams, KSL

Library discussions bring men’s mental health to the surface

Therapists say it’s common for men to repress things like trauma, grief, stress and anxiety. Now, a new weekly series of discussions aims to help men bring it all to the surface.

...

Bear Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau

Cozy up in Bear Lake: Discover the magic of a winter getaway

SALT LAKE CITY – The holiday season shines brightest when time slows down and loved ones gather. Gifts, decorations and festive music come and go, but shared experiences tend to last much longer. Research supports that idea. Dr. Theresa E. DiDonato told Psychology Today that vacations can strengthen relationships by creating meaningful time away from daily […]

...

Harper Clinic

Rewriting the path to healing: Inside Harper Clinic’s whole-person mental health model

OREM — A few decades ago, you’d have had a hard time finding a doctor to treat both your mind and body; And a century ago, you’d have been hard-pressed to find a doctor to treat your mind at all. Today, medical professionals are understanding more and more the undeniable connection between the body and […]

Meta lines up massive supply of nuclear power to energize AI data centers