June 18, 2026
Likes, memes, and reactor dreams
TerraPower in Deal with Meta for Eight Natrium 345 MW Advanced Nuclear Plants
Meta’s nuclear shopping spree has commenters yelling “sure, Jan”
TLDR: Meta struck a deal with TerraPower to back up to eight new nuclear plants to power its future data centers, with the first ones targeted for the early 2030s. Commenters aren’t buying the hype yet, arguing over whether it’s a real commitment or just flashy PR with a radioactive glow.
Meta says it’s teaming up with TerraPower to help develop up to eight new nuclear plants, a massive power play aimed at feeding its fast-growing data center appetite. On paper, it sounds huge: enough always-on electricity to help run the company’s artificial intelligence empire, with the first units teased for as early as 2032. But in the comments, the reaction was less “wow” and more side-eye with popcorn.
The loudest mood was pure disbelief. One commenter basically responded with the internet equivalent of a laugh track — “I don’t believe you” — complete with an Anchorman GIF for extra sass. Others zoomed in on the vague wording of the deal, wondering whether Meta is putting up real money or just doing polished corporate image management. In other words: is this a serious buildout, or a shiny press release in a hard hat?
Then came the reactor nerd civil war. Some commenters got hung up on the Natrium name, noting it uses liquid sodium, not the more hyped molten salt designs. That opened the door to the classic online energy debate: why this design, why not thorium, and is fusion darling Helion about to swoop in someday anyway? Meanwhile, the skeptics were already writing the future headlines themselves, predicting delays, regulatory headaches, and a quiet retreat if the first reactor misses its date. The vibe: big promise, bigger doubts, and a comment section absolutely feasting on both.
Key Points
- •TerraPower and Meta announced an agreement to develop up to eight Natrium advanced nuclear reactor and energy storage plants.
- •The agreement supports early development work for two Natrium units and gives Meta rights to energy from up to six additional units.
- •Each Natrium reactor is described as providing 345 MW of baseload power and up to 500 MW for more than five hours using built-in energy storage.
- •The article says each selected Meta site is expected to host twin Natrium reactors, providing 690 MW continuous power and up to 1 GW dispatchable output.
- •Meta will provide funding for deployment, with initial units targeted for delivery as early as 2032; the article calls this Meta’s largest support of advanced nuclear to date and its first direct investment in a new nuclear build.