Accelerating the Subsequent Wave of Nuclear to Energy AI Innovation

Takeaways

  • As we speak, Meta introduced it is going to launch a request for proposals (RFP) to determine nuclear vitality builders to assist us meet our AI innovation and sustainability aims — focusing on 1-4 gigawatts (GW) of latest nuclear technology capability within the U.S.; certified builders can fill out the consumption type to obtain additional steerage on the RFP course of.
  • We’re taking an open strategy with this RFP so we are able to companion with others throughout the trade to carry new nuclear vitality to the grid.  

Advancing the applied sciences that may construct the way forward for human connection — together with the following wave of AI innovation — requires electrical grids to develop and embrace new sources of dependable, clear and renewable vitality. As new improvements carry impactful technological developments throughout sectors and assist financial progress, we imagine that nuclear vitality might help present agency, baseload energy to assist the expansion wants of the electrical grids that energy each our information facilities (the bodily infrastructure on which Meta’s platforms function) in addition to the communities round them.

Supporting the event of fresh vitality should proceed to be a precedence as electrical grids develop to accommodate rising vitality wants. At Meta, we imagine nuclear vitality will play a pivotal position within the transition to a cleaner, extra dependable, and diversified electrical grid. That’s the reason right this moment we introduced that we are going to be releasing a request for proposals (RFP) to determine nuclear vitality builders to assist us meet our AI and sustainability aims.

Our purpose is so as to add 1-4 GW of latest nuclear technology capability within the U.S. to be delivered beginning within the early 2030s. We want to determine builders that may assist speed up the supply of latest nuclear turbines and create ample scale to attain materials price reductions by deploying a number of items, each to offer for Meta’s future vitality wants and to advance broader trade decarbonization. We imagine working with companions who will finally allow, design, engineer, finance, assemble, and function these energy crops will make sure the long-term considering essential to speed up nuclear know-how.  

After we started partaking with the renewable vitality trade greater than a decade in the past, the trade was scaling. Our early engagement with builders of renewable vitality allowed Meta to design contracts that allow each Meta and our developer companions to attain our respective objectives. We wish to work creatively with builders to construction an settlement that may equally allow growth of nuclear know-how.

In comparison with renewable vitality initiatives that we proceed to put money into, equivalent to photo voltaic and wind, nuclear vitality initiatives are extra capital intensive, take longer to develop, are topic to extra regulatory necessities, and have an extended anticipated operational life. These variations imply we have to interact nuclear vitality initiatives earlier of their growth lifecycle and think about their operational necessities when designing a contract. And, as scaling deployments of nuclear know-how affords one of the best likelihood of quickly decreasing price, partaking with a companion throughout initiatives and areas will enable us to make sure that we are able to deploy strategically. An RFP course of will enable us to strategy these initiatives completely and thoughtfully with these concerns in thoughts.

As we sit up for our subsequent decade of innovation and progress, we’re planning for our information heart vitality wants whereas concurrently contributing to a dependable grid and advancing our sustainability commitments. Constructing on our efforts to carry new clear and renewable vitality to the grid — together with photo voltaic, wind, battery storage, and, most not too long ago, geothermal — we proceed to search for progressive methods to allow further clear vitality sources. Since 2020, we have now matched our world operations with 100% clear and renewable vitality and targeted on bringing new sources to the grid by way of progressive partnerships – totaling over 12,000 MW of renewable vitality contracts worldwide so far. Going ahead, this dedication is extra essential than ever to assist our imaginative and prescient of working sustainably. As our sector continues to develop, we’re dedicated to working throughout the trade to advance our sustainability commitments and rework the grid of the long run.

Focus areas

At Meta, we’re constructing a greater actuality at each degree of our affect.

2024 Sustainability Report

Study extra about our progress as we work to attain internet zero emissions throughout our worth chain and change into water constructive in 2030.

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