Amazon isn’t the only tech giant planning to use nuclear power. Meta has officially announced plans to incorporate nuclear power as a key energy source for its U.S. data centres. The company revealed that it is soliciting proposals from nuclear energy developers to contribute between one and four gigawatts of nuclear energy capacity, with operations targeted to begin in the early 2030s.
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In its request for proposals, Meta expressed interest in partnering with developers experienced in Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) or larger-scale nuclear reactors. According to Axios, Meta is “geographically agnostic” regarding the location of potential nuclear sites, indicating flexibility in site selection. Earlier this year, The Financial Times reported that Meta had scrapped a prior plan to build a nuclear-powered data centre after the discovery of a rare bee species at the proposed site.
In a statement, Meta highlighted the role of nuclear energy in supporting technological growth and community infrastructure. “As new innovations drive technological advancements and economic growth, we believe nuclear energy can provide firm, reliable power to meet the growing demands of electric grids that support both our data centres and surrounding communities,” the company said.
Meta’s announcement aligns with a broader trend among tech giants looking to nuclear energy to sustain their energy-intensive AI operations. Google recently announced plans to build multiple nuclear reactors in the U.S., aiming to generate 500 megawatts of power through SMRs. Similarly, Microsoft has revealed ambitions to revive the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania to support its AI infrastructure.
As demand for AI and cloud computing services grows, companies like Meta, Google, and Microsoft are increasingly turning to nuclear energy as a sustainable and reliable alternative to meet their substantial energy requirements. These moves could pave the way for broader adoption of nuclear technology across industries in the coming decades.
