Walmart signs first nuclear PPA with Constellation for Illinois
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- Walmart signed a long-term PPA with Constellation Energy — announced June 23 — for up to 176 MW of nuclear electricity across two 15-year terms beginning in 2029 and 2030, described by Constellation as "among the first of its kind between a large retailer and a nuclear energy facility."
- Constellation will supply power from its Dresden Clean Energy Center in Illinois, relicensed in December for operation through 2049 and 2051; the deal includes 30 MW of expanded generation capacity at the plant.
- The deal supports a perishable distribution center Walmart is developing in Illinois, where the retailer operates an estimated 175 stores and clubs with over 55,000 employees.
- Walmart is targeting net-zero emissions across global operations by 2040, with 48.5% of its global electricity needs already supplied by renewables in 2024, per its fiscal year 2025 ESG report.
- Corporate energy buyers procured approximately 5.1 GW of nuclear energy in 2025 — more than twice the 2.2 GW procured in 2024 — as nuclear joins geothermal, hydropower and fusion in corporate clean-firm portfolios, per a March Corporate Energy Buyers Association report.
- Constellation signed a parallel PPA with Meta last year to keep the Clinton Clean Energy Center online for an additional 20 years, the clearest precedent for a non-tech corporate nuclear buyer.
Why it matters: Constellation extends its corporate-nuclear franchise beyond tech buyers and locks a 30-year revenue stream at a recently relicensed Illinois plant, while Walmart secures fixed-price, emissions-free power for new Illinois operations well before its 2035 renewable target. The deal structure (terms starting 2029–2030) signals that retailers are now willing to underwrite baseload nuclear to support cold-chain logistics, not just ESG headlines.
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