Meta signs nuclear energy agreement to develop AI-powered electricity, Vistra and Oklo stock prices soar

Meta announces the signing of a series of milestone nuclear power agreements, with a total capacity expected to exceed 6 gigawatts (GW), aimed at filling the massive electricity gap for its AI data centers. The partners involved include traditional energy giant Vistra ( stock code: VST ), as well as emerging nuclear developers Oklo ( stock code: OKLO ) and TerraPower. Following the announcement, the energy sector was immediately energized, with Vistra’s stock price soaring by as much as 16% intraday, and Oklo reaching a maximum increase of 19%. This reflects that, in the context of major tech companies competing to develop artificial intelligence, stable and low-carbon “baseload power” has become a key strategic resource.

Meta’s Nuclear Power Footprint Surpasses Peers

The 6 GW power scale targeted by Meta is quite astonishing, enough to supply electricity for approximately 5 million households, surpassing Amazon, Alphabet, and Microsoft to become one of the world’s largest corporate nuclear energy buyers. According to the agreement, Meta will purchase power from Vistra’s existing nuclear plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania and assist in increasing the capacity of these facilities. At the same time, Meta is looking ahead, collaborating with Oklo supported by Sam Altman and TerraPower founded by Bill Gates to invest in the construction of small modular reactors (SMRs) expected to come online in the early 2030s. This demonstrates that Meta CEO (Mark Zuckerberg ), in pursuit of the vision of achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI, is actively deploying pre-positioning strategies to ensure infrastructure does not become a bottleneck for technological development.

(Will Nvidia’s investment in Bill Gates’ TerraPower enable cross-industry integration of AI and nuclear energy? )

High Premium for Stable Baseload Power

Although nuclear energy has the advantage of being low-carbon, its procurement costs are significantly higher than other energy sources. According to Bloomberg data, the cost of nuclear power generation ranges from approximately $141 to $220 per megawatt-hour (MWh), substantially higher than natural gas, wind, or solar, which cost between $50 and $60. This indicates that Meta is willing to pay a premium to acquire electricity. The core consideration is that nuclear power offers an “around-the-clock” operation capability unmatched by renewable energy, ensuring continuous 24/7 operation of data centers; additionally, compared to natural gas prices, which are highly volatile due to geopolitical influences, nuclear fuel costs are relatively stable. For cash-rich tech giants, ensuring energy supply reliability and achieving ESG green energy goals hold strategic value far beyond mere electricity procurement costs.

Opportunities and Challenges of SMR Technology

This agreement provides a significant confidence boost for emerging nuclear technologies, especially the small modular reactor (SMR) industry. Meta not only commits to purchasing power but also includes prepayments to Oklo to assist with fuel procurement, providing critical early-stage funding for innovative energy companies. However, investors should still carefully evaluate associated risks. Nuclear projects typically have development cycles of up to ten years, and reactors like Oklo employing new technologies still require rigorous approval from federal regulatory agencies, posing risks of delays or cost overruns. Although U.S. electricity demand is projected to grow by 30% by 2030, and tech giants have strong demand, whether nuclear energy can meet the gap in time during the AI race—compared to faster-built natural gas plants—remains a key market focus.

This article on Meta signing nuclear agreements to deploy AI power, with Vistra and Oklo stock prices soaring, first appeared on Chain News ABMedia.