Meta is making a bold move: the tech giant is seeking federal approval to trade electricity, marking a major shift in how it powers its massive AI-driven data centers. The company believes this strategy will accelerate new power plant construction, secure long-term electricity supplies, and manage its energy risk more efficiently.

Meta submitted an application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) through its newly created subsidiary, Atem Energy LLC, applying for the right to act as a wholesale power marketer. In its filing, the company said it wants to “sell energy, capacity, and certain ancillary services” — allowing it not only to buy power but also to resell any surplus into the wholesale markets.

Why is Meta doing this? According to Urvi Parekh, Meta’s Head of Global Energy, power plant developers have been asking for long-term commitment from buyers. She explained that by trading electricity, Meta can make those big commitments and also absorb risk by reselling extra power when its demand is lower than projected. As Parekh put it: “Power plant developers want to know that the consumers of power are willing to put skin in the game.”

Meta’s energy demand is soaring — especially in its Louisiana data center campus, which reportedly may need three new gas-fired power plants built by utility Entergy just to keep up. CPU-hungry AI workloads are driving that electricity usage, and Meta is trying to hedge its bets by not relying purely on external utilities.

This is not Meta’s only energy strategy. The company is also doubling down on clean power: in 2025, Meta signed deals with Invenergy to buy 791 MW of wind and solar electricity for its data centers, which it will get via the grid but will benefit from through clean energy credits. Even more strikingly, Meta struck a 20-year agreement with Constellation Energy to buy nuclear power from a plant in Illinois to support its AI operations.

By entering the power trading business, Meta isn’t just reacting to energy demand — it’s actively shaping the future of power infrastructure. Analysts say this gives Meta a strong position: it can help guarantee the financing of new power plants, secure favorable long-term deals, and even act as a stabilizing force in electricity markets.

But there are risks. Trading power means Meta must walk a fine line: committing to plants before they exist, while also assuming the risk of reselling that power. If its data center demand doesn’t materialize as forecast, it could be left with too much electricity on its hands. At the same time, this move signals just how serious tech companies are about controlling their own energy destiny — especially as AI workloads continue growing at breakneck pace.

As Meta pushes into energy markets, the implications go beyond just its own infrastructure: this move could reshape how big tech companies think about energy procurement, generation, and sustainability.