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美国能源部向星座能源开出50亿美元贷款 增容110万千瓦电力早已售予谷歌、亚马逊和Meta

美国能源部有条件承诺向星座能源(Constellation Energy)提供最高50亿美元贷款,用于反应堆增容改造,而增容机组的发电量大部分早已签约售予谷歌、亚马逊和Meta。华盛顿选对了瓶颈;纳税人凭这一瓶颈放贷,能换来什么条款,才是悬而未决的问题。

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Richard TangRichard Tang · 2 min read
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星座能源CEO乔·多明格斯在克兰清洁能源中心控制室内与另一位高管交谈,抬手指向控制盘台
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星座能源CEO乔·多明格斯在克兰清洁能源中心控制室。该反应堆的重启,去年获得了能源部10亿美元贷款支持

华盛顿选对了瓶颈

10月27日,美国能源部向美国最大核电运营商星座能源+2.78% — 星座能源, up 2.78 percent today有条件承诺提供最高50亿美元贷款,支持它在伊利诺伊州、马里兰州和宾夕法尼亚州的八座在运核电站再挤出近110万千瓦电力12。

这正是AI电力链条上应当发力的正确环节:新建反应堆从许可审批到建成往往需要十年甚至更久,而在已投运的电站里换上新的汽轮机、蒸汽发生器和数字控制系统,能把稳定电力提前数年送上电网,首批由谷歌支持的电力计划于2028年并入电网16。这份公告不动声色地确认了一点:这些电力早已售出。

与谷歌+1.58% — 谷歌, up 1.58 percent today和亚马逊+1.97% — 亚马逊, up 1.97 percent today签订的20年期合同,支撑着约108万千瓦、总额超过70亿美元的投资;Meta−1.73% — Meta, down 1.73 percent today则为克林顿核电站的扩建项目提供支持2。谷歌的协议覆盖11台反应堆;亚马逊的资金投向马里兰州的卡尔弗特悬崖核电站,以及该电站未来20年的运营67。

华盛顿不是在为AI电力竞赛出资,而是在为这场竞赛再融资。

便宜的钱,是在换料大修中挣来的

此次要加速的工作并不光鲜:工程研究、到2030年累计向美国核管理委员会(NRC)提交的十余份申请文件,以及在换料大修窗口内完成的汽轮机更换——按能源部的估算,可创造超过1万个就业岗位45。这正是AI对全天候电力的胃口与实际送到电网的电力之间的缺口,而星座能源正是承接这项工作的公司,因此让它拿到更便宜的联邦资金,算得上合理回报2。

有一点对公众有利:新增电力并入区域电网,而不是圈进某座数据中心的围墙之内,这也正是能源部把增容项目包装成“人人受益的可靠性”的原因67。

真正的悬念在条款,不在电力

目前一切尚未落定。这项承诺仍须通过尽职调查并签署最终融资文件,且并不约束星座能源必须实施任何一项具体的增容改造24。市场同样不买账:今年以来星座能源股价累计下跌近30%,散户情绪偏空3。继维斯特拉(Vistra)+3.40% — 维斯特拉(Vistra), up 3.40 percent today之后,这是本月第二笔巨额增容贷款要约;两笔均未最终敲定4。

华盛顿迄今最大一笔增容支票花落星座能源

  • Estimate
$0B$1B$2B$3B$4B$5B克兰反应堆重启,2025年11月$1B维斯特拉增容,2026年10月$4.2B星座能源增容,2026年10月$5B有条件承诺;尽职调查尚未完成
Data
Value
克兰反应堆重启,2025年11月$1B
维斯特拉增容,2026年10月 (estimate)$4.2B
星座能源增容,2026年10月 (estimate)$5B
美国能源部对核电机组重启与增容改造的贷款承诺;维斯特拉与星座能源两笔目前仍为有条件承诺。资料来源:StockTwits(经雅虎财经);《POWER》杂志。3,4

贷款若最终落地,这些已签约的增容项目经济性将随之改善;若在尽职调查中夭折,AI电力折价就得由星座能源的股价独自扛起。值得正视的一种质疑是:签下20年期合同的买家本可以自担这类风险,如今由公众出钱代劳,公众理应看清这笔钱能换来怎样的回报。等尽职调查落幕,请细读条款——这条链条,如今正是在这一环上收紧。

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