Another shuttered nuclear power plant is getting new life, thanks to Big Tech

Google has announced plans to revive the Duane Arnold Energy Center nuclear power plant in Iowa, which shut down in 2020.
The company has signed a 25-year agreement with NextEra Energy to purchase electricity from the plant when it starts operating again.
Google’s move is part of a growing trend by tech companies like Microsoft and others to revitalize nuclear energy in the US, which faces competition from cheaper alternatives like gas, solar, and wind power.
The Duane Arnold plant will start generating power again in 2029, but its restart poses challenges as it’s the first time a mothballed nuclear plant has been brought back online in the US.
Google believes that reviving old nuclear plants is a faster path to unlocking large-scale nuclear power to meet growing electricity demand from AI data centers.

An aerial photo of a nuclear power plant. — The Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa.

Google announced plans to revive a nuclear power plant that shut down in 2020, as it looks to secure enough electricity for its AI data centers.

The company announced a 25-year agreement with NextEra Energy to eventually purchase electricity from the Duane Arnold Energy Center, a 615MW nuclear plant in Iowa, when it starts operating again. “We’re enabling the investment to restart the plant and covering costs for the production of energy from Duane Arnold,” Google says in a blog post. The Central Iowa Power Cooperative will purchase remaining electricity from the plant that Google doesn’t use.

It’s the latest move by Google and other tech companies to revitalize nuclear energy in the US

It’s the latest move by Google and other tech companies to revitalize nuclear energy in the US, which has struggled to compete with falling costs for gas, solar, and wind power over the years. As power grids scramble to keep up with growing electricity demand from AI, nuclear energy has become a more attractive option for generating carbon-free energy around-the-clock for data centers.

Duane Arnold first started generating power in 1975, and is slated to start running again in 2029. But getting it operational will be no small task; the US has never restarted a mothballed nuclear plant, Reuters reports. Microsoft announced plans last year to help revive a shuttered reactor at Three Mile Island, which is supposed to sputter back to life in 2028.

Google says that turning an old power plant back on is “the fastest path to unlock large-scale nuclear power to meet AI growth in the near-term.” The company is also working with NextEra and Kairos Power to develop next-generation nuclear reactors, but those advanced designs still face lengthy certification and permitting processes.

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Q. What is Google planning to do with the Duane Arnold Energy Center?

A. Google plans to revive the nuclear power plant and purchase electricity from it, as part of a 25-year agreement with NextEra Energy.

Q. Why is Google interested in reviving the Duane Arnold Energy Center?

A. Google wants to secure enough electricity for its AI data centers, which require carbon-free energy around-the-clock.

Q. How much power does the Duane Arnold Energy Center generate?

A. The Duane Arnold Energy Center generates 615MW of power.

Q. When is the Duane Arnold Energy Center expected to start operating again?

A. The plant is slated to start running again in 2029, after being shut down in 2020.

Q. Is this the first time a mothballed nuclear plant has been restarted in the US?

A. No, Microsoft announced plans last year to help revive a shuttered reactor at Three Mile Island, which is expected to sputter back to life in 2028.

Q. What is Google’s goal with reviving nuclear energy in the US?

A. Google aims to unlock large-scale nuclear power to meet AI growth in the near-term.

Q. Who is working with Google on developing next-generation nuclear reactors?

A. Google is working with NextEra and Kairos Power to develop next-generation nuclear reactors.

Q. What are the challenges facing the development of next-generation nuclear reactors?

A. Advanced designs still face lengthy certification and permitting processes.

Q. Why has nuclear energy struggled to compete with falling costs for gas, solar, and wind power in the US?

A. Nuclear energy has struggled due to lower costs for these alternative energy sources over the years.

Q. What is driving the interest in reviving nuclear energy in the US?

A. Growing electricity demand from AI data centers is making nuclear energy a more attractive option for generating carbon-free energy around-the-clock.