NextEra, Google to Restart Duane Arnold Nuclear Plant

NextEra Energy will consolidate ownership of the 615 MW Duane Arnold Nuclear Energy Center by buying minority stakes held by Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) and Corn Belt Power Cooperative, and has a 25-year power purchase agreement with Google for much of the plant’s output while CIPCO will purchase the remaining output on equivalent terms. The partners say they will restart the facility to supply Google’s cloud and AI data centers, targeting full commercial operation by 2029 pending regulatory approvals, and will explore additional nuclear projects nationwide. Officials and company-cited studies project the project could create hundreds to thousands of jobs during construction and operation and estimate roughly $9 billion in total regional economic benefit. Separately, Google, ADM and Broadwing Energy are developing a 400+ MW natural-gas plant in Decatur, Illinois, that will use ADM’s carbon‑capture technology and aims for commercial operation around 2030. Both initiatives are presented as part of a broader strategy to secure long-term, low‑carbon or dispatchable power to meet rapidly growing electricity demand from AI infrastructure.