NEW YORK - Constellation Energy Corp agreed to sell power from an Illinois nuclear plant to Meta Platforms Inc as artificial intelligence (AI) sends power demand soaring.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, signed a 20-year contract to buy 1,121 megawatts from the Clinton plant starting in mid-2027, when a state subsidy expires, according to a statement on Tuesday.

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Under the deal, Constellation, the biggest US nuclear operator, will invest in boosting Clinton's output. The company is also considering plans to build another reactor at Clinton, which already has federal approval for a second unit.

"It's a logical place for us to talk to Meta, and to others, about potentially building the next generation of assets," Constellation Chief Executive Officer Joe Dominguez was quoted by Bloomberg News as saying. "Those conversations are well under way."

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"Nuclear power has emerged as one of the biggest winners from the AI-fueled surge in electricity demand," noted Bloomberg's report. While the tech industry is also using solar and wind power, their intermittent nature means stable electricity supplies generated by nuclear reactors, but also coal and natural gas, is in high demand. Atomic power has the added benefit of not emitting planet-warming air pollution.