AWS, Meta & the Military Go Nuclear: New Energy Deals Reshape the Grid

The energy landscape is transforming rapidly as tech giants forge ahead with ambitious power supply strategies for their ever-expanding data center operations. Amazon Web Services has secured a monumental 1,920-megawatt agreement with Talon Energy to tap Pennsylvania's Susquehanna nuclear facility through 2042, cleverly restructuring a previously rejected proposal into a front-of-meter framework that sidesteps federal approval requirements.

Meanwhile, Meta is pursuing multiple paths to power security. In Ohio, they've received approval for a $1.6 billion behind-the-meter gas-fired facility featuring 31 generating units that will remain completely isolated from the grid. Simultaneously, they're partnering with XGS Energy to develop 150 megawatts of water-free geothermal power in New Mexico – a state now recognized to harbor over 160,000 megawatts of untapped geothermal potential.

Technological breakthroughs are opening exciting new possibilities in the geothermal sector. Fervo has slashed deep drilling times by 79%, reaching temperatures of 520°F at three-mile depths and drilling at 300 feet per hour at 15,000 feet down. These advances could unlock hundreds of thousands of megawatts across previously inaccessible regions of the United States. Similarly, modular nuclear technology is gaining momentum, with Oklo receiving a notice to provide electricity and heat to Alaska's Eielson Air Force Base.

Not all segments of the clean energy sector are thriving, however. Energy storage developer Powen has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy despite deploying 9,000 megawatt-hours of projects, citing import tariffs and regulatory uncertainties around investment tax credits. Solar companies Sunova and Mosaic face similar challenges, having also filed for bankruptcy protection.

What does this tell us about the future of energy? As traditional players struggle with regulatory headwinds, tech giants are increasingly taking their energy destiny into their own hands – whether through nuclear partnerships, behind-the-meter solutions, or investments in emerging technologies. Subscribe to our channel to stay informed about these pivotal developments reshaping our energy landscape!

Chapters

• 0:00 Data Center Power Agreements
• 1:26 Geothermal Energy Developments
• 4:07 Oklo's Nuclear Deal with DOD
• 4:47 Energy Companies Filing Bankruptcy
• 5:13 Battery Swap Technology in Spain

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

I've got your energy stories for this. The third week of June 2025. The first one well, more data center supply agreements in the news. Talon Energy and Amazon Web Services have signed a 1,920 megawatt power purchase agreement to supply Pennsylvania data centers from the Susquehanna nuclear facility. This agreement is notable because Talon and AWS had originally sought to expand a 300 megawatt contract in which Talon was serving a co-located AWS data center. They wanted to boost that to 960 megawatts, an arrangement that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rejected. Under the new contract, this 300 megawatts will be included with an additional 1,620 megawatts in a front-of-meter framework that requires no federal approval. The contract runs through 2042 and specifies deliveries of between 840 and 1,200 megawatts in 2029, 1,680 megawatts to 1,920 megawatts in 2032, and so on. Talon will function as retail power supplier to AWS, with PPL electric utilities supporting transmission and delivery, Also with data centers in power.

Speaker 1: 1:09

Last week the Ohio Power Siting Board okayed a 200-megawatt gas-fired gen facility to serve a new Meta data center. The arrangement here involves Williams and Meta, with three different variants of gas turbines and 31 units in total, including 14 reciprocating engines. Apparently, the combined output is 320 plus megawatts, with all 31 plants located behind the meter exclusively for data center use and physically not connected to the grid. This co-location approach is increasingly being employed by some data center developers anxious to get up and running, who are facing difficulties in accessing grid interconnections. Construction of the $1.6 billion project is expected to begin shortly, with an estimated completion date of Q3 2026. Also in the data center power supply game, advanced geothermal company XGS Energy and Meta Platforms announced an agreement for development of 150 megawatts of geothermal energy in New Mexico that will be connected to local utility PNM's power grid. Xgs uses zero water in its operations, which is a boon in drier locations. A new report identifies over 160,000 megawatts of untapped geothermal potential in New Mexico.

Speaker 1: 2:26

Speaking of advanced and enhanced geothermal, enhanced geothermal company Vervo, which uses fracking, unlike Advanced, which is a closed system, Vervo reports successful completion of a new appraisal well, three miles in depth, with a projected bottom hole temperature of 520 degrees Fahrenheit. Bottom hole temperature of 520 degrees Fahrenheit. The undertaking took just 16 days, which represents a 79% cut in the duration versus the US DOE reference baseline for deep wells. At depths of 15,000 feet, it was able to drill 300 feet per hour. So what? Well, owing to the continental geology of this country, rock in the western part of the United States was suitable for shallower geothermal wells, but in the east you had to drill a lot deeper. Now, with these deeper depths, bottom temps can be accessed that are hotter, rendering far more of the US as a potentially viable geothermal resource For Fervo's Cape Station, Utah location. A survey there suggests potential for over 5,000 megawatts of development at depths to 13,000 feet. With these new results, the resource is expected to be even greater with those hotter temperatures further down. National models indicate there are hundreds of thousands of megawatts of potential for geothermal development between 10,000 and 20,000 feet, with temps ranging from 400 to 600 degrees Fahrenheit.

Speaker 1: 3:47

The industry is evolving quickly. Vervo notes that five years ago field trials were dealing with temps in the 300 degrees Fahrenheit range. Modular nuclear technology company Oklo says it has received a notice of intent to award by the Defense Logistics Agency on behalf of the Department of the Air Force and the US Department of Defense. Under this agreement, Oclo would design, construct, own and operate the power plant, which would provide electricity and heat to Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. Terms and duration were not specified in Oclo's press release.

Speaker 1: 4:22

Unfortunately, US energy storage developer Powen just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy relief. One of the largest storage developers and operators on the planet, with an estimated 9,000 megawatt hours of projects deployed. Powen cited import tariffs and other political and regulatory uncertainties, especially related to the investment tax credits. Last week, two residential solar companies, Sunova and Mosaic, also filed for Chapter 11. Tough time for many companies in this space these days. And finally, US battery swap company Ample announced a partnership in Madrid, Spain, with mobility solutions provider Free2Move, utilizing up to 100 adapted Fiat 500e vehicles with swappable drop-in battery packs provided by Ample. This approach allows for full battery recharge in under five minutes, maximizing fleet availability while cutting both operational costs and reliance on charging infrastructure. Well, that's all for this week. Thanks for watching and we'll see you again soon.