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U.S. Department of Energy Provides $1.9 Billion Loan to Support Restart of Duane Arnold Nuclear Power Plant

NextEra Energy announced on September 8 that it has completed a loan arrangement of up to $1.9 billion with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to support the restart of the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa. The project will help restore operations at Iowa's only nuclear power plant and add stable electricity supply to the regional grid. Located in Linn County, Iowa, the Duane Arnold Energy Center has a generating capacity of 615 megawatts. NextEra Energy has previously stated that, subject to regulatory approvals, it plans to restart the facility no later than the first quarter of 2029. The DOE loan will support related restoration efforts, including...

2026-09-09

Iowa Research Promotes Nuclear Energy Industry Development

The Iowa Nuclear Energy Task Force released a report stating that, leveraging experience in deploying new energy technologies, a strong manufacturing base, workforce conditions, and the Duane Arnold nuclear power plant restart plan, Iowa is well-positioned to play a greater role in the growing nuclear energy industry. NextEra Energy has agreed to restart the Duane Arnold nuclear power plant, primarily to supply power to Google. Image courtesy of NextEra Energy. The task force was established by Iowa's governor in January of this year with the mission of assessing opportunities for advancing nuclear energy technology and infrastructure in the state. The report recommends that Iowa conduct a statewide nuclear energy feasibility study, identify areas suitable for new nuclear project development, and establish a one-stop coordination window to facilitate nuclear project advancement.

2026-09-08

Iowa Releases Final Report of Nuclear Energy Task Force

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced on September 3 that the Iowa Nuclear Energy Task Force has completed its final report. The task force was established in January of this year under Executive Order No. 17, with the mission of assessing opportunities for advancing nuclear energy technology and related infrastructure development in Iowa. The task force is composed of representatives from utility companies, power generators, local governments, academia, the Iowa Utilities Commission, industry associations, national laboratories, and the state legislature, and is supported by the Iowa Economic Develop...

2026-09-04

Linn County, Iowa, rejects rezoning application for data center site near nuclear power plant

The Linn County Board of Supervisors in Iowa said Monday it will not proceed with amendments to the EU-2 zoning district. This decision means that large data centers will not be permitted to be built near nuclear facilities through this zoning rule for the time being. The current EU-2 zoning primarily allows for nuclear power generation facilities, nuclear waste storage facilities, and natural gas power generation facilities, and does not list large data centers as permitted uses. The zoning adjustment drew attention due to the potential restart of the Duane Arnold Energy Center near Palo. If the nuclear facility were to resume operations, it could provide a stable power source for energy-intensive data centers, prompting interest from data center companies in surrounding...

2026-08-11

NRC Preliminary Assessment Finds No Significant Environmental Impacts from Duane Arnold Nuclear Plant Restart

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a draft environmental assessment for the restart of the Duane Arnold nuclear power plant, preliminarily concluding that the project would not result in significant environmental impacts. NextEra Energy plans to restart the Duane Arnold nuclear power plant in Palo, Iowa, as early as 2029, and has made significant progress. The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Advantage Financing participated as a cooperating agency in drafting the environmental assessment, as the department is considering providing financial support for the restart project. According to a notice in the Federal Register, NRC staff evaluated the potential impacts of restarting the 615-megawatt Duane Arnold nuclear power plant on land use, meteorology, air quality and...

2026-08-05