When AI Training Needs More Power Than a Small Country
Three Mile Island's Unit 1 went dark in 2019, a casualty of brutal economics: nuclear plants with $40-50/MWh operating costs couldn't compete when natural gas crashed below $30/MWh. The plant employed 700 people and generated enough carbon-free electricity for 800,000 homes, but markets don't care about carbon—they care about price. Fast forward five years, and the world looks radically different. Training GPT-4 consumed 50 gigawatt-hours of electricity. Google's DeepMind reports AI model training costs double every 3.4 months. Hyperscale data centers now consume 10-20 megawatts continuously—equivalent to powering 10,000 homes.
Enter Joe Dominguez and Constellation Energy. On September 20, 2024, Dominguez announced that Microsoft signed a 20-year agreement to purchase 100% of the power from Three Mile Island Unit 1 once restarted. The plant will operate exclusively for Microsoft's AI infrastructure, providing 835 megawatts of carbon-free baseload power that runs 24/7 regardless of sun or wind. The deal increases Constellation's annual EPS growth from 10% to 13% through 2030, creates 3,400 jobs, and generates $16 billion for Pennsylvania's economy. Wall Street responded decisively: CEG stock jumped 22% that day and has more than doubled since January 2024. Nuclear power didn't just become economically viable again—it became essential infrastructure for the AI revolution.
Business Model & Competitive Moat
Constellation Energy operates the largest nuclear fleet in America: 21 reactors across 12 plants generating approximately 32,400 megawatts of carbon-free electricity. Unlike traditional utilities that sell to retail customers, Constellation primarily operates in competitive wholesale power markets (especially PJM Interconnection covering the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest). The company sells electricity under long-term power purchase agreements to commercial customers, utilities, and increasingly, hyperscale data center operators.
The competitive moat is extraordinary and essentially impossible to replicate. Building new nuclear capacity in the United States is prohibitively expensive (estimated $6,000-10,000 per kilowatt) and faces decade-long permitting battles. Constellation's existing fleet represents irreplaceable infrastructure—nuclear plants that took decades to permit, construct, and certify. The company's expertise operating the largest nuclear fleet creates an operational moat: managing nuclear facilities safely requires specialized talent and regulatory relationships that take years to develop. Most critically, nuclear is the only carbon-free baseload power source available 24/7. Solar and wind suffer intermittency; batteries can't scale to data center needs; natural gas emits CO2. For tech giants with net-zero commitments needing guaranteed power every hour of every day, Constellation has no substitute.
Financial Performance
Constellation's financial transformation mirrors the nuclear renaissance:
- •Stock Surge: CEG shares jumped 22% the day of the Microsoft announcement and have more than doubled in 2024 as market recognizes nuclear's strategic value
- •EPS Growth Acceleration: Microsoft deal increases annual base EPS growth rate from 10% to 13% (2024-2030), reflecting premium pricing power
- •Three Mile Island Economics: $1.6B investment to restart TMI-1, with fixed-price Microsoft contract providing guaranteed returns through 2048
- •Government Contracts: $1B+ in combined federal contracts to supply 13+ government agencies, including $840M 10-year deal starting 2025
- •Economic Impact: TMI restart alone creates 3,400 jobs, $3B in state/federal taxes, $16B contribution to Pennsylvania GDP
Growth Catalysts
- •AI Power Demand Explosion: Hyperscale AI training facilities require 10-100MW+ of continuous power; Constellation is the only provider with carbon-free baseload capacity at scale
- •Data Center Buildout Wave: Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft racing to build AI infrastructure—all need guaranteed 24/7 power with zero carbon footprint to meet sustainability commitments
- •Additional Plant Restarts: Three Mile Island proves the economic model; Constellation could restart other mothballed reactors if hyperscalers commit to similar long-term PPAs
- •Federal Support: Inflation Reduction Act nuclear tax credits plus growing government recognition that AI leadership requires energy independence strengthens Constellation's negotiating position
- •Natural Gas Price Volatility: Any spike in gas prices makes Constellation's fixed-price nuclear contracts even more valuable to customers seeking cost certainty
Risks & Challenges
- •Three Mile Island Execution Risk: Restarting a plant shut down for 9 years is technically complex; any delays past 2028 target or cost overruns above $1.6B budget damage credibility
- •Regulatory Approval: Nuclear Regulatory Commission must approve restart; while likely given Unit 1's safety record, any complications create uncertainty
- •AI Bubble Concerns: If AI investment slows dramatically, hyperscale data center buildout could stall, eliminating demand for expensive nuclear PPAs
- •Technological Displacement: Breakthroughs in battery storage, next-gen geothermal, or small modular reactors (SMRs) could eventually compete with large nuclear plants
- •Valuation Risk: Stock has more than doubled in 2024—substantial good news may already be priced in, leaving limited upside unless additional major deals materialize
Competitive Landscape
Constellation faces limited direct competition in the nuclear space. Exelon (CEG's former parent before the 2022 spinoff) operates nuclear plants but focuses on regulated utility markets rather than competitive wholesale. Duke Energy and Dominion Energy operate nuclear fleets but are vertically integrated utilities, not independent power producers. The closest comparables are Vistra Energy and NRG Energy, which operate fossil fuel plants—but neither offers carbon-free baseload at scale.
The real competitive threat comes from alternative power sources. Amazon recently signed a deal with Talen Energy to purchase power from the Susquehanna nuclear plant—validating Constellation's model but creating competition for remaining hyperscale deals. Renewable developers like NextEra Energy argue that solar/wind plus battery storage can meet data center needs cheaper, though they struggle with the 24/7 reliability requirement. Joe Dominguez's key advantage is timing: Constellation moved first with Microsoft, establishing proof-of-concept while competitors were still evaluating the nuclear restart model. With only a handful of shutdown-but-restartable reactors available and four hyperscalers (Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Meta) needing power, Constellation controls scarce supply in an exploding demand market.
Who Is This Stock Suitable For?
Perfect For
- ✓Growth investors seeking exposure to AI infrastructure buildout
- ✓ESG/clean energy investors wanting carbon-free power without intermittency issues
- ✓Long-term investors (5+ years) betting on continued data center expansion
- ✓Investors seeking utility-like stability with tech sector growth dynamics
Less Suitable For
- ✗Value investors uncomfortable with premium valuations (stock doubled in 2024)
- ✗Short-term traders (contract execution plays out over years, not quarters)
- ✗Nuclear skeptics concerned about safety or regulatory risks
- ✗Investors needing current income (no dividend currently paid)
Investment Thesis
Constellation Energy sits at the intersection of three unstoppable trends: exponential AI compute growth, hyperscale data center expansion, and corporate decarbonization mandates. Joe Dominguez recognized earlier than competitors that these trends create unprecedented demand for carbon-free baseload power—electricity that flows continuously regardless of weather, time of day, or grid conditions. The Microsoft deal validates the thesis spectacularly: the world's most sophisticated technology buyer just committed 20 years and implicitly blessed $1.6 billion in restart capital because no alternative meets their requirements.
The investment case extends beyond Three Mile Island. Constellation operates 21 reactors; Microsoft's deal covers one. Amazon, Google, and Meta all face identical constraints: massive AI power needs, net-zero commitments, and 24/7 reliability requirements. Each represents potential additional contracts at premium pricing. Government agencies awarded Constellation $1 billion in recent contracts, signaling federal recognition of nuclear's strategic importance. The stock has doubled, but if Constellation signs even one more hyperscale deal approaching Microsoft's scale, current valuations look reasonable. The key risks are execution (TMI restart on time and budget) and whether AI investment continues at current pace. For investors with conviction that AI is structural rather than cyclical and willingness to hold 3-5 years, Constellation offers rare exposure to essential infrastructure for the digital economy's next chapter.