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Walmart is making its first nuclear power play as the retail giant looks to support its growing footprint in Illinois.
The retailer signed a long-term power purchase agreement with Constellation to buy emissions-free electricity from the company’s Dresden Clean Energy Center in Illinois, the companies announced on June 23.
The agreement provides Walmart with about 176 megawatts of power, including 30 megawatts of expanded generating capacity, through two 15-year terms starting in 2029 and 2030.
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The agreement will help power Walmart’s planned high-tech perishable distribution center in Belvidere, Illinois – first announced in 2023 – while supporting upgrades at Dresden that will boost output from the existing nuclear facility without building a new plant.
The deal marks Walmart’s first nuclear power purchase agreement and is among the first of its kind between a large U.S. retailer and a nuclear energy facility, according to the companies.
Walmart, which operates about 175 stores and clubs in Illinois and employs more than 55,000 associates in the state, said the agreement builds on its broader energy strategy.
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“Working with Constellation allows us to support new operations in Illinois while advancing our strategy in a way that prioritizes affordable, reliable, and clean energy for our business and the communities we serve,” Shayne Wahlmeier, senior vice president of energy at Walmart US, said in a statement.
“We’re constantly evaluating new capabilities and energy solutions that help ensure the electricity we rely on is dependable, responsibly produced, and built to support long-term growth,” Wahlmeier added.
Corporate demand for nuclear power has accelerated in recent years, driven largely by Big Tech’s need to power data centers and artificial intelligence (AI) operations.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMT | WALMART INC. | 108.82 | -4.44 | -3.92% |
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Meta announced earlier this year that it signed 20-year agreements to buy power from three Vistra-owned nuclear plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania, while also working with Oklo and TerraPower to help develop new nuclear projects.
The deals could supply up to 6.6 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2035, the company’s chief global affairs officer, Joel Kaplan, told FOX Business at the time.
