Joel Kaplan, Meta's chief international affairs officer, told FOX Business that the tech company's new nuclear deal will create thousands of skilled jobs and strengthen the U.S. power grid.
Meta's latest nuclear deal will help the U.S. “win” the artificial intelligence (AI) race with China, Joel Kaplan, the company's chief international affairs officer, told FOX Business as soaring energy demand strains the nation's power grid.
The technology giant announced Friday that it has entered into a 20-year agreement to purchase power from three Vistra-owned nuclear power plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania, while also supporting the development of new nuclear projects with Oklo and TerraPower.
The deal could provide up to 6.6 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2035, Kaplan said.
“We're really excited about this opportunity to partner with great American companies and the Trump administration to bring these huge energy investments in up to 6.6 gigawatts of new nuclear power by 2035,” Kaplan told FOX Business on Friday.
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Joel Kaplan, Meta's chief international affairs officer, said the deal could provide up to 6.6 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2035. (FOX business)
Kaplan added: “This is just a huge contribution to the economy and will really help this country win the AI race with China.”
Under the agreement, Meta will purchase power from Vistra's Perry and Davis-Bess plants in Ohio and Beaver Valley plant in Pennsylvania.
| ticker | safety | last | change | change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meta | Meta Platforms Co., Ltd. | 658.77 | -5.68 |
-0.85% |
| VST | Vistra | 166.41 | +15.89 |
+10.56% |
| Oklo | Oklo Co., Ltd. | 105.31 | +7.71 |
+7.90% |
Meta will also support the development of small modular nuclear reactors with Oklo and TerraPower.
TerraPower is backed by billionaire Bill Gates.
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This photo shows a high-tech data center with server racks. (image/image)
Kaplan said the investment will also directly benefit the local community.
“These data centers are creating thousands of new jobs, and these are good, high-paying, skilled jobs such as plumbers, steelworkers, electricians, electricians, HVAC, plumbers, and more,” Kaplan said. “So we’re really excited about the impact these major infrastructure investments will have on our local communities.”
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This file photo shows the Meta logo. (Nicolas Cocobris/NurPhoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Kaplan added that this new agreement, combined with Meta's previous agreement to keep the Illinois nuclear power plant open for another 20 years, will make Meta one of the largest buyers of nuclear power in U.S. history.
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“This is a true win-win for the local community and we really appreciate our partnership with the local community,” Kaplan said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
