The Duane Arnold nuclear plant in Iowa, owned by NextEra Energy, is moving forward with plans to restart operations by the end of the decade, after being shut down in 2020. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently approved NextEra Energy's request to reconnect the plant to the electric grid, marking a critical step in the recommissioning process.
NextEra anticipates Duane Arnold restarting operations by the fourth quarter of 2028 at the earliest, according to FERC filings. This initiative is largely spurred by the surging electricity demand in the U.S., particularly from artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers, which require substantial and reliable power sources.
The plant is expected to bring over 600 megawatts of electricity back to the grid, enough to power more than 400,000 homes. NextEra plans to invest as much as $100 million in 2025 alone on the project, which is described as a 'highly capital-intensive process' involving new transformers and replacement of dismantled structures. CEO John Ketchum highlighted these as 'unicorn-type opportunities' due to avoiding new build costs.
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