New York, January 9, 2026, 10:09 (EST) — Regular session
- Vistra shares rose after Meta unveiled long-term nuclear power agreements tied to its U.S. data-center buildout
- The contracts cover more than 2,600 megawatts across three plants, with output increases planned over time
- Traders are watching for contract economics, regulatory approvals and timing of plant upgrades
Vistra Corp (VST) shares rose about 14.4% to $172.26 in morning trade on Friday after Meta Platforms said it signed 20-year agreements to buy power from three Vistra nuclear plants. Oklo (OKLO), another partner named by Meta, climbed about 16%. (Reuters)
The deals land as power availability turns into the constraint for U.S. data centers, not chips. Meta said the package of agreements could support up to 6.6 gigawatts of nuclear energy by 2035, including for its planned Prometheus data-center “supercluster” in Ohio. (About Facebook)
For Vistra, the headlines are also about contract length. The company said the power purchase agreements, or PPAs — long-term contracts to buy electricity — cover more than 2,600 megawatts from its Perry and Davis-Besse plants in Ohio and the Beaver Valley plant in Pennsylvania, all feeding the PJM grid. CEO Jim Burke called it “a unique and exciting collaboration,” while Meta’s Urvi Parekh said the company is investing because nuclear “provides clean, reliable power” for its AI push. (Vistra Corp. Investor Relations)
Meta did not disclose financial terms. The company said the agreements support its Prometheus AI data center in New Albany, Ohio, a 1-gigawatt campus expected to come online in 2026. (AP News)
Meta’s announcement also put fresh attention on small modular reactors, or SMRs — smaller plants pitched as faster to build than traditional reactors, but still largely unproven at commercial scale in the United States. The Financial Times reported that analysts and experts remain wary on cost and timing even as Big Tech starts to underwrite early projects. (Financial Times)
The nuclear push is not a one-off for Meta. In June 2025, Constellation Energy said it signed a 20-year PPA with Meta for the output of its Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois, beginning in June 2027, tied to 1,121 megawatts of emissions-free power. (Constellation)
There is a catch for investors trying to model the upside today: pricing and execution. MarketWatch noted that key terms were not released, while the longer-dated pieces of Meta’s nuclear strategy hinge on regulatory approvals and build timelines that can slip. (MarketWatch)
Traders will also test whether the move holds once the first burst of buying fades. For Vistra, the story shifts quickly from the announcement to the mechanics — how quickly it can deliver the uprates, what it spends to do it, and whether long-duration contracts translate into steadier cash flow.
Next comes the next set of disclosures. Vistra is expected to report results around February 26, according to Nasdaq’s earnings calendar, where investors will look for any updated capital spending and contract commentary tied to the Meta deal. (Nasdaq)
