This week, Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, announced that it is purchasing 200 megawatts of solar energy from Engie, a large electric utility company. This addition boosts Meta’s already impressive renewable energy portfolio to over 12 gigawatts. To give you a sense of scale, a gigawatt is enough to power about 300,000 homes for a year, so 12 gigawatts is a substantial amount of energy.
The announcement comes at a time when tech companies are rapidly expanding their capabilities in artificial intelligence (AI). As they build more data centers—facilities where large amounts of computer servers are housed—the demand for electricity is skyrocketing. In fact, experts predict that by 2027, half of the new AI servers may not have enough power to operate effectively.
Recently, Meta has been increasing its energy capacity. Last December, the company revealed plans to construct a massive 2-gigawatt data center in Louisiana, although that facility will primarily rely on natural gas for power. The new solar energy project is located near one of Meta’s existing data centers in Texas, which means it will help supply clean energy to support their operations.
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In addition to solar energy, tech companies are also exploring nuclear energy. Last year, there were several partnerships formed between tech giants and nuclear startups. For instance, Google is working with a company called Kairos to set up 500 megawatts of small nuclear reactors starting in 2030, while Amazon has a deal with X-Energy for 300 megawatts that will be operational in the early 2030s.
Meta is also getting involved in nuclear energy. In December, they announced that they are looking for proposals from nuclear power developers to provide between 1 to 4 gigawatts of power by the early 2030s. Companies interested in this opportunity have until February 7 to submit their plans.
Even though nuclear energy has been getting a lot of attention lately, renewable energy sources like solar and wind are still quietly increasing their capacity. This growth allows companies like Meta to expand their computing power right now. For example, Google is involved in a $20 billion renewable energy deal with Intersect Power and TPG Rise, while Microsoft is collaborating with Acadia Infrastructure Capital on a $9 billion deal.
One of the biggest challenges for nuclear startups will be the speed at which renewable energy can be deployed. Meta’s new solar farm, for example, is expected to start generating power by 2025, which is much sooner than many nuclear projects, illustrating the urgency in meeting the growing energy demands of the tech industry.
