Constellation signs nuclear PPA with Meta to support AI ambitions

US energy company Constellation has signed a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Meta for 1,121MW of nuclear energy.

The power will be supplied from June 2027 from the Clinton Clean Energy Center, located in the US state of Illinois, supporting the nuclear facility's relicensing and continued operations for the next two decades.

According to Constellation, this deal will expand Clinton’s clean energy output by 30MW through plant uprates, as well as provide grid reliability and low-cost power to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO) zone four territory for decades to come.

Urvi Parekh, head of Global Energy at Meta, stated: “Securing clean, reliable energy is necessary to continue advancing our AI ambitions. We are proud to help keep the Clinton plant operating for years to come and demonstrate that this plant is an important piece to strengthening American leadership in energy.”

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The Clinton Clean Energy Center was scheduled to close in 2017 due to financial losses. Its early retirement was prevented by enacting the Future Energy Jobs Act, which, explains Constellation in a release, established a Zero Emission Credit (ZEC) programme that provides financial support to the plant through mid-2027.

The Meta power purchase agreement will now replace the ZEC programme, allowing the plant to continue operating in the future without ratepayer support.

Joe Dominguez, president and CEO of Constellation, commented in a statement: “We are proud to partner with Meta...they figured out that supporting the relicensing and expansion of existing plants is just as impactful as finding new sources of energy. Sometimes the most important part of our journey forward is to stop taking steps backwards.”

Constellation highlights that keeping the Clinton Clean Energy Center operation will provide important economic and environmental benefits. The Center directly employs over 530 people, contributes approximately $13.5 million in annual taxes, and generates enough carbon-free electricity to power over 800,000 homes.

Constellation is now considering plans to extend the plant’s existing early site permit or seek a new construction permit from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to pursue an advanced nuclear reactor or SMR at the Clinton site.

Constellation has also announced its intention to invest $1 million over five years to support workforce development, social services and education in Clinton.