COLUMBUS, OH-Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — is making Ohio a centerpiece of its plan to power the explosive growth of artificial-intelligence and cloud data centers using nuclear energy.
The tech giant has partnered with California-based Oklo to build a 1.2-gigawatt campus of small nuclear reactors in Pike County, near the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The project could include up to 16 advanced reactors by 2034, creating what Oklo calls a new generation of “powerhouses” designed specifically to serve massive data centers.
At the same time, Meta has signed long-term agreements to buy power from Ohio’s two existing nuclear plants — the Davis-Besse plant near Toledo and the Perry Nuclear Power Plant near Cleveland — helping keep them running while new nuclear technology comes online. Together, those deals would supply more than 2 gigawatts of carbon-free electricity to the grid.
Meta says the strategy allows its rapidly expanding Ohio data-center network — including its massive New Albany “Prometheus” supercluster — to grow without putting pressure on household electric bills. Data centers already account for 40% of PJM’s recent capacity auction costs, according to the regional grid operator.
Supporters say Ohio’s nuclear push could deliver thousands of construction and long-term jobs, stabilize the power grid, and position the state as a national hub for clean, always-on energy needed for artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure.
But the plans also face skepticism. Some Pike County residents worry about radiation risks and the history of contamination at the former uranium site. Environmental groups question why nuclear is being favored over wind and solar, while consumer advocates warn that shifting large amounts of existing power to data centers could raise prices if new generation doesn’t come online fast enough.
Meta maintains that it is paying the full cost of its electricity and that its investments will add new generation to the grid, not take power away from everyday Ohioans.
Ohio leaders see the nuclear expansion as a turning point.
“This checks all the boxes — jobs, clean energy, and energy security,” U.S. Sen. Jon Husted said.
Source: Reporting by Dean Narciso, The Columbus Dispatch, Jan. 9 and Jan. 14, 2026.
