The US Energy Information Administration published a chart mapping nuclear power plants that have signed agreements to supply data centers. The analysis covers two Pennsylvania plants in the PJM transmission region.

In March 2024, Amazon Web Services signed a contract for 960 megawatts of capacity from Talen Energy's Susquehanna nuclear power plant. In September 2024, Constellation Energy announced a 20-year power purchase agreement to supply Microsoft data centers in the mid-Atlantic region from Unit 1 at the Three Mile Island plant. EIA described the Constellation arrangement as the second of its kind that year.

The Talen agreement scales over time. Amazon increases its share in 120-megawatt increments across several years, and holds a one-time option to cap its commitment at 480 megawatts. EIA noted that capacity requests from data center owners typically specify potential peak demand and do not obligate the owner to use the full amount.

EIA listed the attributes that draw data center owners to nuclear generation. A single reactor generally has a capacity of 800 megawatts or more, operating costs are typically low, and plants run continuously. Data center demand holds steady around the clock, which matches that output profile. Nuclear plants also generate electricity without direct carbon dioxide emissions, which EIA noted matters to technology firms with emissions reduction goals.

The agency also pointed to uncertainty in future demand. The amount of data center capacity built, the time each facility takes to reach peak load and improvements in efficiency all affect the outlook. Direct connection between a plant and a data center lets the customer receive power without using the wider transmission network, and EIA said proponents argue this lowers overall grid costs while electric distribution companies have raised concerns about the arrangement.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration - https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=63304