Articles Tagged: NextEra Energy

Linn County has officially adopted a nuclear energy ordinance — making it one of the only counties in the state with a nuclear-specific zoning code.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved NextEra Energy’s request for a waiver allowing the company to move forward with plans to recommission the shuttered Duane Arnold nuclear power plant in Palo.

The Linn County Board of Supervisors has unanimously advanced a proposal to add nuclear energy generation to the county’s zoning code.

NextEra representatives, during a meeting with nuclear regulators Thursday, said the Duane Arnold Energy Center near Palo, which closed in 2020, needs “a few major pieces of equipment” before it can restart, including cooling towers, the restoration of transmission lines, new offices, warehouse buildings and a new sewage treatment system.

The nation’s dwindling fleet of nuclear plants — including the shuttered Duane Arnold plant in Palo — is being seized upon as one of the most viable ways to quickly feed tech firms’ growing thirst for electricity to power the giant data centers needed for AI projects.

The commission unanimously approved the draft code at its Monday meeting. Now, it heads to the Board of Supervisors.

Linn County is seeking citizen feedback on its proposed nuclear zoning code ahead of next week’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.