NextEra Energy to restart Iowa nuclear facility, signs energy pact with Google

NextEra Energy (NEE) announced two agreements with Google (GOOGL), which aims to strengthen U.S. nuclear and help meet growing energy demand from artificial intelligence with nuclear energy. The cornerstone of this collaboration is the planned restart of the Duane Arnold Energy Center, Iowa’s only nuclear facility, which is located in Palo, near Cedar Rapids. Once operational, Google will purchase power from the 615-MW plant as a 24/7 carbon-free energy source to help power Google’s growing cloud and AI infrastructure in Iowa, while also strengthening local grid reliability, creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs, and driving economic investment to the Midwest region. In addition to Google’s 25-year agreement to purchase carbon-free nuclear energy from the Duane Arnold plant, one of the plant’s current minority owners, Central Iowa Power Cooperative, will purchase the remaining portion of the plant’s output on the same terms as Google. NextEra Energy has signed definitive agreements to acquire CIPCO and Corn Belt Power Cooperative’s combined 30% interest in the plant, which will bring NextEra Energy’s ownership to 100%. Duane Arnold, which was shut down in 2020, is expected to be online and delivering electricity onto the grid by the first quarter of 2029, pending regulatory approvals to restart the plant. NextEra Energy and Google have also signed an agreement to explore the development of new nuclear generation to be deployed in the U.S., which would help power America’s growing electricity needs. The Duane Arnold restart follows an engineering evaluation, community engagement and close coordination with federal, state and local authorities. NextEra Energy is working proactively with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other governmental authorities to ensure a compliant return to service.