Meta Electricity Trading Plan Aims to Power Its Data Centers

Meta wants approval to trade electricity as it pushes to build more power plants for its growing AI data centers. The move would let Meta buy and resell power, helping developers fund new energy projects.

Meta is seeking to enter the electricity trading business as the company ramps up construction of new power plants needed to supply its rapidly expanding AI data centers. According to Bloomberg, both Meta and Microsoft have asked for federal approval to purchase and resell electricity, approval that Apple has already secured.

Meta says that entering electricity trading will help it make long-term commitments to energy producers while reducing risk by giving the company flexibility to resell excess power on wholesale markets.

This marks one of Meta’s boldest steps yet into the energy sector, driven by the enormous electricity demands of AI and cloud infrastructure.

Why Meta Wants to Trade Electricity

Meta’s head of global energy, Urvi Parekh, told Bloomberg that developers building new power plants need assurance that large customers like Meta will commit financially.

“Power plant developers want to know that the consumers of power are willing to put skin in the game.“

By acting as a buyer, and potentially a reseller, Meta can give developers the certainty they need to proceed with large energy projects.

Parekh added:

“Without Meta taking a more active voice in the need to expand the amount of power that’s on the system, it’s not happening as quickly as we would like.“

In other words, traditional energy development timelines are too slow for Meta’s AI infrastructure ambitions.

AI Data Centers Are Driving Record Power Needs

The push for electricity trading highlights the unprecedented energy demands behind Meta’s next-generation AI data centers.

Bloomberg reports that at least three new gas-powered plants will be required just to support Meta’s Louisiana data center campus. This is only one site — Meta is expanding multiple AI campuses across the U.S., each requiring vast amounts of reliable power.

The scale shows how AI is transforming energy consumption:

AI training clusters consume massive amounts of electricity
Data center construction is accelerating worldwide
Renewable energy sources alone can’t meet the immediate demand
Utilities are struggling to keep pace with tech company growth

Meta’s electricity trading plan is part of a broader shift where big tech companies are becoming major players in the energy market.

How Electricity Trading Helps Meta

If approved, Meta’s electricity trading rights would enable the company to:

Secure long-term power contracts

Helps guarantee energy supply for future data centers.

Reduce financial risk

If Meta buys more power than needed, it can resell excess energy on wholesale markets.

Speed up power plant development

Commitment from major buyers accelerates investor confidence.

Support diversification

Meta can invest in multiple energy sources while maintaining flexibility.

This model is similar to how renewable energy PPAs (power purchase agreements) work, but with more flexibility thanks to resale capability.

See Also:

Big Tech’s Increasing Role in Energy Markets

Meta is not alone.
Microsoft also requested electricity trading approval.
Apple already has it.

Together, these companies account for some of the world’s largest energy purchases, especially for cloud and AI workloads.

This trend signals:

Big Tech wants direct control over energy supply
Traditional utilities aren’t expanding capacity fast enough
Energy security is becoming a competitive advantage in AI
Power trading could become standard for data center operators

In effect, energy is becoming as important to tech companies as semiconductors and fiber networks.

Meta’s push into the electricity trading business underscores how aggressively AI infrastructure is reshaping the global energy landscape. With data centers requiring enormous and predictable power supplies, Meta is seeking new tools to secure, and even influence, future energy development.

If regulators approve Meta’s request, the company could play a much larger role in wholesale energy markets, accelerating power plant construction and reshaping the relationship between Big Tech and the energy sector.

As AI growth continues, electricity could become the next frontier where tech giants compete.

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