October 28, 2025
In a landmark move to secure clean energy for its artificial intelligence operations, Google has signed a long-term power agreement to support the restart of the Duane Arnold Energy Center, a 615-megawatt nuclear power plant in Iowa. The deal with plant owner NextEra Energy marks one of the most significant efforts by a tech giant to directly bring retired nuclear capacity back online.
The 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) is expected to provide the capital investment required to recommission the facility, which was shuttered in 2020. The plant, Iowa's only nuclear generator, was originally commissioned in 1975 but was deactivated after its cooling towers were damaged by a severe windstorm, making repairs uneconomical at the time.
According to the companies, the plant is projected to begin delivering power by 2029. This new, steady source of carbon-free electricity will be dedicated to Google's expanding data center operations in the state, which are increasingly powering energy-intensive AI workloads.
"Building on two decades of work in Iowa, including our recent $7 billion investment in the state this May, Google is proud to partner with NextEra Energy to reopen the Duane Arnold Energy Center," said Ruth Porat, President and Chief Investment Officer of Alphabet and Google. She highlighted that the project will deliver nuclear energy and create hundreds of new jobs in Iowa.
The agreement is part of a broader consolidation of the plant's ownership. NextEra will acquire the combined 30 percent interest held by minority owners Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) and Corn Belt Power Cooperative. Following this, CIPCO will purchase the remaining portion of the plant's output not used by Google, under the same terms as the tech firm.
The restart remains contingent on regulatory approvals. NextEra has already received permission to reconnect the plant to the grid by September 2025, and federal filings suggest the facility could be powered up as early as the first quarter of 2028.
This initiative aligns with Google's substantial investment in Iowa's infrastructure. The company recently announced plans to develop up to six data centers near the Duane Arnold site, though a specific timeline for that construction has not been released. Local authorities in Linn County are currently drafting ordinances related to data centers, nuclear power, and gas power in connection with the project.
Google joins a growing list of hyperscalers turning to nuclear power for reliable, large-scale clean energy. Similar long-term PPAs for nuclear output have recently been signed by Amazon Web Services, Meta, and Microsoft, which is backing the revival of the Three Mile Island plant.
The deal also includes a partnership between Google and NextEra to explore developing new nuclear generation projects in the US. "Restarting Duane Arnold marks an important milestone for NextEra Energy," said John Ketchum, Chairman and CEO 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.”
SOURCE DCD
