Walmart signs 30-year nuclear power deal for carbon-free Illinois operations

Walmart has signed a long-term power purchase agreement with Constellation Energy to buy 176 megawatts of nuclear power from the Dresden Clean Energy Center in Illinois. The deal covers two consecutive 15-year terms starting in 2029 and 2030. A portion of the power comes from planned reactor uprates that will add 30 megawatts of new capacity without building new plants. The electricity will support a new automated perishable distribution center in Belvidere, Illinois, and offset the energy use of Walmart's 175 stores in the state. The agreement follows federal license renewals that allow the Dresden plant to operate through 2049 and 2051. This is Walmart's first direct nuclear procurement contract and one of the earliest such deals by a major US retailer. The deal shows how large corporate buyers are using long-term contracts to secure reliable, emissions-free power for their operations. It also demonstrates how nuclear uprates can provide additional clean capacity without the delays and costs of new construction.