Oracle has announced it will absorb about $300 million in rising energy costs tied to the Point Beach Nuclear Plant in Wisconsin, a move designed to protect more than 1 million utility customers from higher fuel charges. The commitment covers a portion of the plant's purchase power arrangement and supports the continued operation of a 50-year-old carbon-free baseload generator. The deal still needs approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. The announcement is tied to Oracle's Project Lighthouse data center development in Port Washington. Oracle says it will fully fund the project's energy costs and is investing in local infrastructure and workforce programs. For anyone watching grid decarbonization, this is a notable example of a large tech buyer paying to keep existing nuclear capacity online rather than relying on new fossil generation.
