2026-01-14
. @Microsoft today unveiled a new AI infrastructure “plan” (really more of a statement of principles) designed to put “community first.” A key part of their commitment: to work with utilities to bring new electricity supply to meet their needs (bring your own generation) and pay the full costs (eg via large load tariffs). This is the way.
GeekWire
Microsoft changes its data center approach, pledging to pay its own power costs, reject tax breaks, and replenish more water than it uses, amid local opposition
President Trump was right about Microsoft — but he only leaked part of the story. — Microsoft is changing its approach …
2026-01-10
In fact, @Amazon tried this same move last year, buying a huge 1.9 GW chunk of power from an existing Talen nuclear plant in PA as well ( https://www.utilitydive.com/ ...), and even @Google, who most often champions new, hourly matched clean electricity, signed up for 670 megawatts from
Wall Street Journal
Meta signs deals with nuclear power providers Vistra, TerraPower, and Oklo to buy power and support new reactor projects, securing up to 6.6GW of power by 2035
Facebook parent will back nuclear projects with Oklo, Bill Gates-backed TerraPower and Vistra
To be frank: PJM customers would be better off if Meta at least contracted bilaterally for new gas power capacity than take 2.1 GW of existing supply off the grid and claim it as theirs! At least then, capacity prices wouldn't rise (though greenhouse gas emissions would—and Im
Wall Street Journal
Meta signs deals with nuclear power providers Vistra, TerraPower, and Oklo to buy power and support new reactor projects, securing up to 6.6GW of power by 2035
Facebook parent will back nuclear projects with Oklo, Bill Gates-backed TerraPower and Vistra
What may be worse is the precedent this could set: if Meta gets away with this while receiving credulous applause, it'll create a huge incentive for other hyperscalars to hit the same “easy button.” There are nearly 100 gigawatts of existing nuclear operating in the US today.
Wall Street Journal
Meta signs deals with nuclear power providers Vistra, TerraPower, and Oklo to buy power and support new reactor projects, securing up to 6.6GW of power by 2035
Facebook parent will back nuclear projects with Oklo, Bill Gates-backed TerraPower and Vistra
Buying electricity from an existing reactor can be a great financial hedge for both Meta and Vistra. Fine for them to do that to reduce uncertainty about future costs or revenues. But the simple fact that it is a good hedge does NOT add the gigawatts of NEW clean energy needed to actually meet Meta's growing demand.
Wall Street Journal
Meta signs deals with nuclear power providers Vistra, TerraPower, and Oklo to buy power and support new reactor projects, securing up to 6.6GW of power by 2035
Facebook parent will back nuclear projects with Oklo, Bill Gates-backed TerraPower and Vistra
@xiaowang1984 It's always been their “right” under market rules to buy what they want. The rest of us also have the right not to like it—or like paying the higher bills it will result in! And I guess we'll have to see if the hyperscalars care enough about the PR—or if they even get enough
Wall Street Journal
Meta signs deals with nuclear power providers Vistra, TerraPower, and Oklo to buy power and support new reactor projects, securing up to 6.6GW of power by 2035
Facebook parent will back nuclear projects with Oklo, Bill Gates-backed TerraPower and Vistra
The problem: these new reactors wont start producing power until the 2030s (if they do at all, given the still unproven nature of Oklo and TerraPower's new reactors). Worse, the purchase of 2.1 gigawatts from EXISTING nuclear plants already producing power entirely sidesteps the responsibility to bring NEW clean supply on to match @Meta 's demand and will result in higher costs and emissions in PJM immediately.
Wall Street Journal
Meta signs deals with nuclear power providers Vistra, TerraPower, and Oklo to buy power and support new reactor projects, securing up to 6.6GW of power by 2035
Facebook parent will back nuclear projects with Oklo, Bill Gates-backed TerraPower and Vistra
When a huge gigawatt-scale data center connects to the grid, it's like connecting a whole new city, akin to plopping down a Pittsburgh or even Chicago. If you add massive new demand WITHOUT paying for enough new supply to meet that growth, power prices spike! It's the simple law of supply & demand.
Wall Street Journal
Meta signs deals with nuclear power providers Vistra, TerraPower, and Oklo to buy power and support new reactor projects, securing up to 6.6GW of power by 2035
Facebook parent will back nuclear projects with Oklo, Bill Gates-backed TerraPower and Vistra
Surging demand growth projections from data centers is a huge part of why electricity bills in PJM (which includes OH & PA where Meta's nuclear purchases are) have soared over the last two years, driving 20-30% annual increases in power bills across the region.
Wall Street Journal
Meta signs deals with nuclear power providers Vistra, TerraPower, and Oklo to buy power and support new reactor projects, securing up to 6.6GW of power by 2035
Facebook parent will back nuclear projects with Oklo, Bill Gates-backed TerraPower and Vistra
The only solution to this challenge: data centers must pay directly for enough NEW electricity capacity and energy to meet their round-the-clock needs. And if they want to avoid driving up pollution and greenhouse gas emissions (as @Meta says they do), it has to be new CLEAN
Wall Street Journal
Meta signs deals with nuclear power providers Vistra, TerraPower, and Oklo to buy power and support new reactor projects, securing up to 6.6GW of power by 2035
Facebook parent will back nuclear projects with Oklo, Bill Gates-backed TerraPower and Vistra
We really cannot normalize hyperscalers buying power from existing nuclear or hydro and calling it good! If we do, they will all stop doing the real, hard work of investing in the new clean supply we need to truly meet their soaring demand without exploding either utility bills
Wall Street Journal
Meta signs deals with nuclear power providers Vistra, TerraPower, and Oklo to buy power and support new reactor projects, securing up to 6.6GW of power by 2035
Facebook parent will back nuclear projects with Oklo, Bill Gates-backed TerraPower and Vistra
2024-10-15
@Google continues to use its purchasing power to create early market pull to help commercialize advanced clean firm power technologies. Google has agreed to buy 500 MW from @KairosPower, helping Kairos finance not just their first demo but the first 6-8 reactors. This follows
Wall Street Journal
Google signs an deal to buy nuclear energy generated from multiple small modular reactors developed by US-based Kairos Power, targeting 500 MW by 2035
Startup Kairos Power plans to build small reactors to help supply electricity to the tech company's data centers, in a first-of-its-kind deal in the U.S.