Meta Platforms Inc.’s flashy deal this week for nuclear power was just the latest sign of the technology industry’s need for more energy — and fast. And while the top US reactor companies are eager to sign more contracts,

Meta has cut a 20-year deal to secure nuclear power to help meet surging demand for artificial intelligence and other computing needs at Facebook’s parent company.

Meta Platforms (META -0.54%) is building artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that have the power to transform the global economy. This powerful technology requires a tremend