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Vistra Corp. (NYSE: VST) stock experienced a dramatic surge in premarket trading on January 9, 2026, jumping 13.28% to $170.59 as of 6:33 AM EST following the announcement of a landmark nuclear energy agreement with Meta. The 20-year power purchase agreements will provide more than 2,600 megawatts of zero-carbon energy from three Vistra nuclear plants to support Meta’s operations in the PJM region.

This deal represents the largest nuclear uprates supported by a corporate customer in United States history and signals a major shift in how tech companies are securing clean, reliable power for their expanding AI operations.
 

Meta Deal Unlocks Massive Nuclear Capacity Expansion

The agreements encompass three Vistra nuclear facilities: Perry and Davis-Besse in Ohio, and Beaver Valley in Pennsylvania. Meta is purchasing 2,176 MW of operating nuclear energy and capacity from the Perry and Davis-Besse plants, along with an additional 433 MW of incremental capacity through equipment upgrades known as uprates across all three facilities.

Notably, more than 15% of the contracted capacity announced represents new capacity being added to the PJM regional grid, addressing growing electricity demand driven by AI data centers and technological infrastructure.

The deal’s structure ensures electricity generated at these plants continues flowing to the grid for all users while providing Vistra the financial certainty needed to invest in plant expansions and pursue subsequent license renewals. Meta’s purchases under the agreements will begin in late 2026, with additional capacity progressively added through 2034 when the full 2,609 MW of power comes online.

Vistra will now begin planning for license extensions at all three plants that would extend operations of these carbon-free assets for another 20 years beyond their current licensing periods, which range from 2036 to 2047.

VST Shares Rally as Investors Price in Long-Term Growth

Vistra stock closed at $150.60 on January 8, 2026, down 2.59% from the previous session, before surging to $170.59 in premarket trading – a remarkable 13.28% gain representing approximately $20 per share increase. This premarket rally adds significant value to Vistra’s market capitalization of $51.03 billion.

The company’s stock has demonstrated impressive long-term performance despite recent volatility, with a five-year return of 697.82% compared to the S&P 500’s 80.97% gain over the same period, though year-to-date and one-year returns show declines of 6.65% and 5.84% respectively.

The nuclear energy deal addresses a critical challenge facing the utility sector: meeting rapidly escalating power demand from AI operations and data centers. Analysts maintain an average price target of $231.85 for VST, with estimates ranging from $88 to $324, suggesting substantial upside potential from current levels.

The agreements will also generate significant economic benefits for local communities, including tens of millions of dollars in annual state and local taxes, protection of existing jobs at the three facilities totaling over 1,950 permanent positions, and creation of approximately 3,000 project-related jobs across engineering, construction, and planned outage work over the nine-year uprate implementation period.

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