Wedoany.com Report-Jun 4, Meta has entered a 20-year power purchase agreement with Constellation to secure the long-term operation of the Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois, starting in June 2027. This agreement supports Meta’s clean energy objectives by purchasing electricity from the single-unit boiling water reactor, ensuring the facility’s operation for two additional decades after Illinois’s zero emission credit program ends in mid-2027. The deal will also increase the plant’s output by 30 MWe through upgrades, sustain 1,100 local jobs, and generate $13.5 million in annual tax revenue.

The Clinton Clean Energy Center

The Clinton plant, operational since 1987, is licensed until April 2027. Constellation applied for a 20-year license extension with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission last year, which is currently under review. The agreement with Meta provides a market-based solution, replacing the state’s zero emission credit program and ensuring the plant’s viability without reliance on ratepayer funding.

Joe Dominguez, Constellation’s President and CEO, stated: “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. Sometimes the most important part of our journey forward is to stop taking steps backwards.”

Meta is also advancing nuclear energy development, having launched a request for proposals in 2024 for up to 4 GW of new nuclear capacity in the US by the early 2030s. The company received over 50 qualified submissions from utilities, developers, and nuclear technology manufacturers across more than 20 states. Meta has shortlisted several promising projects, prioritizing locations with feasible timelines and execution certainty, aiming to finalize selections by the end of 2025.

The company, a signatory to the Large Energy Users Pledge to triple global nuclear capacity by 2050, emphasized: “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.” Meta’s initiatives, including the Constellation agreement, aim to strengthen energy infrastructure to support AI-driven innovations and economic growth while promoting reliable, clean energy sources.