Meta announces nuclear energy projects

Scope of Meta’s Nuclear Plan

• Commenters debate whether Meta is truly “building” power or mostly locking up output from existing reactors via long-term purchase deals.
• Some note Meta is also backing new advanced reactors (TerraPower, Oklo) and a geothermal project, but details on actual dollars, risk-sharing, and conditions are seen as vague.
• A few see this as smart hedging: if AI demand stays high, it anchors green-ish baseload; if AI collapses, society inherits extra nuclear capacity.

Impact on Grid, Prices, and Public Benefit

• One camp sees more firm, low‑carbon power as an almost unqualified win, regardless of who pays, and hopes AI overbuild leaves “dark fiber–style” surplus capacity.
• Others argue Meta is privatizing a public resource: tying up 6+ GW will tighten supply and raise prices for households and smaller firms.
• Several stress most residential bills are dominated by transmission/distribution, not generation, so cheaper generation doesn’t automatically mean cheaper bills.

Nuclear vs. Renewables and Storage

• Strong pro‑renewables voices claim solar+wind+storage are now cheapest and scaling extremely fast worldwide; nuclear is framed as too slow, capital‑intensive, and likely to become a stranded “baseload” asset in markets dominated by low‑marginal‑cost renewables.
• Pro‑nuclear replies: renewables still need firming for 99.99% uptime, industrial loads, and long lulls; batteries are improving but not yet sufficient for multi‑day/seasonal coverage.
• Several cite Europe and China: nuclear’s share is shrinking relative to renewables even where new reactors are being built, interpreted either as nuclear losing cost-competitiveness or simply being a smaller part of a much larger clean build‑out.

Safety, Waste, and Regulation

• Some dismiss “fallout” and waste fears as overblown relative to coal/gas harms; others emphasize long‑term waste, decommissioning costs, terrorism risks, and catastrophic tail events (Chernobyl, Fukushima).
• Disagreement over whether regulation (LNT/ALARA, NRC processes) is the main cost driver or whether fundamental engineering and labor needs dominate.
• Political risk is highlighted: nuclear in the US depends on taxpayer backstops and a politicized regulator, with references to past scandals and potential capture.

SMRs, Vendors, and Feasibility

• Skepticism is high about small modular reactors and certain startups (e.g., Oklo): no commercial track record, prior NRC rejection, heavy reliance on political connections.
• Some argue cost reductions come from building many copies of proven large designs, not betting on unproven SMRs.
• Overall: enthusiasm for more clean power, but deep division over whether Meta’s nuclear bets are economically rational, socially beneficial, or mostly PR and financial engineering.