Meta is betting big on nuclear. On Friday, it announced agreements with three nuclear companies. One of them is backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The goal? Power its Prometheus supercluster at a new Ohio data center. The system is expected to go live in 2026.
The partners are Vistra, TerraPower, and Oklo. All three are working on nuclear technology. Meta didn’t reveal how much it’s paying. But the focus is clear: long-term energy. AI needs a lot of power. Prometheus won’t run on uncertainty.
Power and Jobs
Meta says these deals could add 6.6 gigawatts of electricity by 2035. That’s more than a whole state like New Hampshire uses. The company also expects thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent positions.
With Vistra, Meta will fund existing nuclear plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania. That means more power and longer lifespans for the facilities. TerraPower and Oklo are still developing projects. Those won’t produce electricity for a while. But Meta is planning ahead.
Why It Matters
Prometheus is a big deal for Meta’s AI plans. It’s supposed to support advanced computing and next-generation AI. Without enough power, the system can’t perform. Other tech giants think the same way. Amazon and Google are also looking at nuclear energy. They want to triple global nuclear capacity by 2050.
The TerraPower deal covers two projects expected to start producing power by 2032. Meta could also get energy from six more projects by 2035. Oklo’s campus in Ohio could be online by 2030. Altman owns about 4 percent of Oklo. He stepped down as chairman earlier this year to avoid conflicts and make it easier for Oklo to attract clients, even ones that compete with OpenAI.
Vistra and Oklo shares jumped after the news. Meta’s stock moved up slightly. Energy is becoming a strategic factor in AI. Investors are noticing.
Bottom Line
Meta’s move shows that AI is not just about computers. It’s also about energy. Reliable, long-term power is now a key advantage. For investors, it’s a signal: the AI race is also an energy race.
