Meta Bets Big on Nuclear Power With Oklo
▼ Summary
– Tech companies can invest in nuclear power by purchasing electricity from existing plants or by funding next-generation reactor startups.
– Microsoft, Amazon, and Google have made varied investments, including deals with existing plants and next-generation startups like Helion, X-energy, and Kairos Power.
– Meta has made an unconventional deal to provide upfront cash to next-gen startup Oklo to finance fuel for its reactors, advancing a planned Ohio campus.
– Meta’s broader nuclear investment, including deals with Vistra and TerraPower, is described by an advocacy group as the largest such investment in U.S. history.
– Rising nuclear fuel costs, driven by import bans and speculation, are particularly acute for startups like Oklo, which seeks unconventional fuels like HALEU and plutonium.
Tech giants are increasingly turning to nuclear energy to power their massive data centers, seeking reliable, carbon-free electricity. While companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google have pursued various strategies, from buying power from existing plants to investing in next-generation reactor startups, Meta has taken a more cautious path, until now. The parent company of Facebook has primarily secured power from an established nuclear facility in Illinois. Its latest move, however, signals a significant shift in strategy with a bold investment in a pioneering startup.
Meta recently announced a groundbreaking deal with Oklo, a company developing advanced fission reactors. The agreement involves Meta providing upfront cash to help Oklo purchase nuclear fuel, a critical step in advancing the startup’s plans for a major power campus in Ohio. This location is strategically chosen within the same grid system that supplies Meta’s regional data centers. While the financial details remain confidential, Oklo’s leadership has hailed it as a landmark commitment within the industry, describing it as a major validation of their technology from a leading “hyperscaler” company.
This investment is part of a broader nuclear energy initiative by Meta, which also includes partnerships with the utility Vistra and the Bill Gates-backed startup TerraPower. Policy advocates have characterized this collective effort as the largest private investment of its kind in the history of American nuclear energy. They argue that such commitments are essential for maintaining existing reactors and scaling up new, advanced designs, positioning the U.S. to maintain its leadership in both nuclear technology and the broader tech sector.
The context for this deal is a tightening nuclear fuel market. Prices are rising due to a federal ban on Russian uranium imports and growing speculation about a potential revival in reactor construction across the country. For innovative companies like Oklo, which rely on specialized fuels, securing supply is a particularly pressing challenge. Oklo has sourced high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) from old government stockpiles, a material enriched significantly more than conventional reactor fuel. The company is also exploring the use of plutonium leftovers from Cold War-era weapons production, which its reactor designs are capable of utilizing as fuel.
(Source: Wired)
