NextEra Energy, Google Partner On Nuclear Energy Development
Agreements Include The Planned Restart Of Iowa’s Only Nuclear Facility
NextEra Energy announced two agreements with Alphabet-owned Google, which will strengthen US nuclear leadership and help meet growing energy demand from artificial intelligence (AI) with clean, reliable nuclear energy.
The cornerstone of this collaboration is the planned restart of the Duane Arnold Energy Center (Duane Arnold), 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 significant 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 (CIPCO), 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.
Powering AI Growth
As the US enters a new era of innovation and opportunity driven by AI, this strategic collaboration aims to enable Google to grow its business needs responsibly, according to NextEra Energy. The power purchase agreement with Google enables the investment to restart the plant and covers costs for the production of energy from Duane Arnold. Restarting the plant will increase generation capacity for the region, and energy customers in Iowa will not bear any costs associated with the power Google purchases from the facility.
NextEra Energy’s strategic investments in nuclear and advanced generation help position Google to deploy AI that can grow the American economy, create jobs, accelerate scientific advances, improve health and educational outcomes, and strengthen national and global security. 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.
“Restarting Duane Arnold marks an important milestone for NextEra Energy,” said John Ketchum, chairman and chief executive officer 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.”
“Building on two decades of work in Iowa, including our recent US$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,” said Ruth Porat , president and chief investment officer of Alphabet and Google. “This partnership serves as a model for the investments needed across the country to build energy capacity and deliver reliable, clean power, while protecting affordability and creating jobs that will drive the AI-driven economy.”
This announcement highlights NextEra Energy and Google’s long-standing relationship. NextEra Energy now has nearly 3 GW of energy projects executed with Google across the country, reinforcing its role of providing energy solutions to meet Google’s needs.
The Duane Arnold restart follows a rigorous 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 safe, timely and compliant return to service.
