"Google announced this week it is working with NextEra Energy to revive a nuclear power plant in Iowa that had closed in 2020. NextEra has been looking for a partner to reopen the reactor for the past year, and it found one in Google, which has been steadily adding zero-carbon energy sources to power its growing data center fleet. Neither company disclosed financial terms of the deal."
"The Duane Arnold Energy Center was shuttered after a summer derecho (major rain storm) damaged a part of the secondary containment system that would prevent the release of radioactive gases. The power plant was originally designed to generate 601 megawatts of electricity, and if the recommissioning goes as planned, the renovated reactor will be capable of cranking out an additional 14 megawatts. NextEra is hoping to restart the facility in 2029, and Google has agreed to buy a majority of its power for 25 years."
"Nuclear power has been experiencing a revival as tech companies and data center developers have been searching for new sources of power as demand for electricity has awakened after a decade-plus slumber. The Iowa reactor isn't the first to be brought back from the dead. Last year, Microsoft said it would work with Constellation Energy to restart a reactor at Three Mile Island that was shut down in 2019."
Google and NextEra Energy will partner to reopen the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa, which closed in 2020 after a derecho damaged secondary containment. The reactor was originally designed for 601 megawatts; recommissioning is expected to add about 14 megawatts. NextEra aims to restart the plant in 2029 and Google will purchase the majority of its output under a 25-year agreement, with the remainder sold to the Central Iowa Power Cooperative. NextEra plans to buy out minority owners. Nuclear restarts are gaining interest from tech firms as a faster route to zero-carbon capacity, but such projects still take years.
Read at TechCrunch
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