Meta wants to have its own nuclear power plant to develop artificial intelligence
6 December 12:21
Meta has announced that it is seeking proposals from nuclear power plant developers to support its goals in artificial intelligence and environmental sustainability. This was reported by Komersant ukrainskyi with reference to Reuters.
The press release states that the company plans to add 1 to 4 gigawatts of new nuclear generation capacity in the United States starting in the early 2030s. For comparison, a typical U.S. nuclear reactor has a capacity of about 1 gigawatt.
“At Meta, we believe that nuclear power will play a key role in the transition to a cleaner, more reliable and more diversified energy grid,”
– the company said in a statement.
Terms of cooperation
Meta is looking for developers with experience in community engagement, planning, and permitting. The company is ready to consider both small modular reactors (SMRs) that are in the commercial development stage and larger reactors similar to existing nuclear power plants in the United States.
Proposals will be accepted until February 7, 2025.
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Meta noted that a careful approach is needed to implement such projects, as nuclear power is more capital-intensive, takes longer to develop, and is more strictly regulated than renewable energy sources such as solar or wind.
“The request for proposals process allows us to approach such projects carefully and thoughtfully, taking into account all these factors,”
– Meta said in a statement.
The move demonstrates the growing interest of large technology companies in nuclear power amid projected rapid growth in electricity demand.
Challenges for nuclear power
Other tech giants are also showing interest in nuclear power. In September, Microsoft and Constellation Energy signed an agreement to restart one of the reactors at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania, which will be the first time a reactor has been launched for a data center.
In March, Amazon announced the acquisition of a nuclear data center from Talen Energy.
However, the implementation of nuclear energy projects faces a number of obstacles. These include the overload of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, potential difficulties with uranium fuel supplies, and local resistance in communities.
According to Goldman Sachs, electricity consumption by data centers in the United States could triple from 2023 to 2030, requiring an additional 47 gigawatts of new capacity.
