Business

Walmart turns to nuclear power to protect grocery supply

Walmart is using nuclear energy to help power a high-tech grocery distribution network focused on fresh food. ©Image Credit: Wikicommons / Kiyoteru Awaji

When you walk into a Walmart grocery store, you probably aren't thinking about where the electricity comes from. You are thinking about whether the milk is cold, the produce is fresh, and the shelves are stocked. But behind the scenes, those things depend on something surprisingly simple: reliable power.

That's why Walmart is making an unexpected investment. The retail giant has signed a long-term agreement to buy electricity from Constellation Energy's nuclear power plant in Illinois to support part of its growing grocery network.

The agreement is tied to the Dresden Clean Energy Center, a nuclear facility that provides steady electricity around the clock. Unlike some energy sources that depend on weather or time of day, nuclear plants produce a consistent supply of power.

It’s all about groceries

This is not about powering Walmart stores directly. The electricity will help support Walmart's new high-tech perishable distribution center in Belvidere, Illinois. That facility handles some of the products customers notice first when something goes wrong, including fresh produce, eggs, flowers, dairy, and frozen foods. Keeping those products moving requires refrigeration, automated sorting equipment, and climate-controlled storage operating continuously. Reliable electricity helps keep all of that running.

Walmart highlights that investments like this are designed to make its supply chain faster and more dependable, helping move groceries from distribution centers to stores more efficiently.

There is a much bigger expansion happening

The Illinois facility is one of five new high-tech perishable distribution centers Walmart is building across the country. The new sites are located in Belvidere, Illinois; Lancaster, Texas; Pilesgrove, New Jersey; Shafter, California; and Wellford, South Carolina. Together, Walmart says the facilities will collectively create about 2,000 new jobs throughout its supply chain.

According to the company, many of those positions will focus on operating and maintaining automated equipment rather than traditional warehouse work.

Source: TheStreet

Domino's US sales slow as customers pull back on pizza

Domino's hasn't just hit a bump in the road; it has hit a wall. Inflation is hitting people hard, and skipping takeout seems to be one of the most common money-saving solutions, resulting in slumping sales at Domino's. A rare slowdown for the

Costco is opening dozens of new stores this year

If you're tired of a long trek to get to your nearest Costco, you may be in luck. Costco is expanding and has announced a handful of new stores planned for 2026 in various states across the country. Your odds of having a nearby location have increased Costco

Snag Frigidaire's $429 window AC for $250 at Woot

Woot is having its 22nd Anniversary Sale, and it's packed with discounts on everything from TVs to home appliances. One standout deal is the Frigidaire 10,000-BTU Window Air Conditioner, now available for just $250. That's down from its regular $429 price, saving you $179

Florida subpoenas General Mills over cancer-linked bread additive

One ingredient hiding in some packaged baked goods has become the center of a health debate. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has launched an investigation into General Mills, the company behind Pillsbury, over its use of potassium bromate, a dough-strengthening additive that's already banned in California (starting