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Google has announced a partnership with NextEra Energy to accelerate nuclear power deployment in the US, beginning with the restart of the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa. Under the agreement revealed on Monday, Google will purchase 600 MW of nuclear power from the plant through a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to supply its growing AI and cloud operations in the state. The remaining portion of the plant’s output will be purchased by the Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) on the same terms as Google. This will help strengthen local grid stability, create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, and drive significant economic investment to the Midwest region. NextEra, Google extend partnership to new nuclear builds NextEra Energy has signed agreements to acquire CIPCO and Corn Belt Power Cooperative’s combined 30 percent interest in the plant, which will bring its ownership to 100 percent. The closed nuclear power plant is expected to be online and deliver electricity to the grid by the first quarter of 2029, pending regulatory approvals. NextEra Energy and Google have also signed an agreement to explore the development of new nuclear generation to be deployed in the US, which would help power America’s growing electricity needs. Revival of Iowa’s only nuclear plant set to generate major economic gains According to a recent report on the economic aspect of the Duane Arnold Energy Center restart, direct construction investment of at least $1 billion will drive over $2.7 billion of economic output in the US. The Duane Arnold Energy Center is a single-unit boiling water nuclear reactor and Iowa’s only nuclear power plant site. The plant was closed in 2020, after its cooling towers were damaged during a violent windstorm. The plant began operations in 1975 and was scheduled for decommissioning in October 2020. It had a license for 1,912 MWt of energy. To restart the plant, NextEra would need to gain NRC approval to restore the plant’s licensing basis to an operational status, return plant components to a status that supports safe operation, and make any upgrades necessary to meet the proposed operational licensing basis. “Restarting Duane Arnold marks an important milestone for NextEra Energy,” said John Ketchum, chairman and CEO of NextEra Energy. “Our partnership with Google not only brings nuclear energy back to Iowa — it also accelerates the development of next-generation nuclear technology. Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer of Alphabet and Google, stated that this agreement builds on two decades of work in Iowa, including the recent $7 billion investment in the state this May. “Google is proud to partner with NextEra Energy to reopen the Duane Arnold Energy Center – a project that will deliver nuclear energy and hundreds of new job opportunities in the Hawkeye State by the beginning of 2029,” Porat stated.
