Walmart Signs its First Long-term Nuclear Power Purchase Agreement

Retail giant Walmart announced that it has signed long-term nuclear power purchase agreement (PPA) with energy provider Constellation Energy for the production of approximately 176 MW of emissions-free electricity from Constellation’s Dresden Clean Energy Center in Illinois.

Under the agreement, which consists of two 15-year contracts beginning in 2029 and 2030, Walmart will purchase electricity, capacity, and associated environmental attributes from the facility. The power will support Walmart’s previously announced high-tech perishable distribution center currently under development in Belvidere, Illinois.

According to the companies, the agreement will enable Constellation to increase output from its existing nuclear units without the need to construct new generating facilities, helping to provide additional carbon-free electricity to the grid.

The new agreement marks Walmart’s first nuclear PPA and is among the first of its kind between a major U.S. retailer and a nuclear energy facility. Walmart has set goals to reduce Scope 1 &2 emissions by 65% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2040, but warned in 2024 that it does not expect to hit its interim climate goals due to factors outside of the company’s control, including a lack of low carbon refrigeration and mobility technologies, and clean energy policy and infrastructure.

Shayne Wahlmeier, SVP Energy at Walmart US said:

“Working with Constellation allows us to support new operations in Illinois while advancing our strategy in a way that prioritizes affordable, reliable, and clean energy for our business and the communities we serve. We’re constantly evaluating new capabilities and energy solutions that help ensure the electricity we rely on is dependable, responsibly produced, and built to support long-term growth.”

Located in Illinois, the Dresden facility provides baseload carbon-free electricity to the region and supports more than 1,100 jobs. The transaction follows Constellation’s December 2025 announcement extending the operating licenses for the Dresden Clean Energy Center, which is licensed to operate through 2049 and 2051.

Constellation said that the new agreement will help support continued investment in the plant’s long-term reliability and performance.

Jim McHugh, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Constellation, said:

“Walmart’s commitment enables meaningful investment in the Dresden Clean Energy Center — bolstering reliability, sustaining local jobs and economic activity, and putting more dependable, emissions-free energy onto the Illinois power grid.”