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NextEra, Google agree nuclear energy from Iowa’s Duane Arnold Energy Center will go to AI
The move is meant to help meet energy demands associated with the rise of data centers and artificial intelligence.
Oct. 27, 2025 4:31 pm, Updated: Oct. 27, 2025 5:18 pm
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PALO — Google intends to lean on nuclear energy from the Duane Arnold Energy Center to meet the growing power demands associated with surging interest in artificial intelligence, per a new agreement with plant owner NextEra Energy.
The partnership was announced Monday ahead of a Tuesday earnings call with NextEra investors, where company leadership will outline their progress and next steps toward restarting the nuclear energy plant near Palo.
The announcement highlights the planned Duane Arnold restart as the “cornerstone” of the collaboration through which Google will purchase a large portion of the energy produced at the approximately 615-megawatt facility.
"Google is proud to partner with NextEra Energy to reopen the Duane Arnold Energy Center,” Google President and Chief Investment Officer Ruth Porat said in the announcement. "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."
Google has agreed to a 25-year contract with NextEra to purchase carbon-free nuclear energy from the Duane Arnold plant. Central Iowa Power Cooperative will purchase the remaining portion of the plant's output.
A second agreement, also announced Monday, outlines plans for Google and NextEra to explore further opportunities for the deployment of nuclear energy nationwide.
The move is meant to help meet energy demands associated with the rise of data centers and artificial intelligence. Data centers are large facilities that house computer servers, data storage and other technical equipment.
Google is currently constructing one data center campus in southwest Cedar Rapids and is looking into a potential second site near in unincorporated Linn County near Palo. A second developer, QTS, is also in the process of constructing a data center project in Cedar Rapids.
To better understand the impact of such projects, Linn County leaders are currently seeking a water balance study to take a comprehensive look at the county’s weather resources and impacts from industrial development. Google will pay for the study, although it will be completed by a third party.
NextEra intends to restart the Duane Arnold plant by the first quarter of 2029, pending regulatory approvals. The plant has been closed since 2020 with plans for a potential restart announced early this year.
"Restarting Duane Arnold marks an important milestone for NextEra Energy," John Ketchum, chairman and CEO of NextEra Energy, said in the release. "Our partnership with Google not only brings nuclear energy back to Iowa — it also accelerates the development of next-generation nuclear technology.”
NextEra estimates that the plant’s restart will contribute to approximately 400 full-time jobs once the plant is operational, contributing to more than $320 million in annual economic output and an average of $3 million in annual tax revenues.
Comments: grace.nieland@thegazette.com
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