Google and NextEra to Restart Iowa Only Nuclear Plant "Duane Arnold"

The power war of the AI infrastructure era has begun -- global competition for "always-on power" for AI data centers has formally intensified. US energy company NextEra Energy and Google partnered to restart the Duane Arnold Energy Center (DAEC) -- Iowa only nuclear power plant closed in 2020 due to storm damage -- in 2029. The 600MW plant will return as a key power source for Google cloud and generative AI infrastructure. Duane Arnold history: began operations in 1974; provided approximately 2% of Iowa state power for 45 years; prematurely closed in summer 2020 when cooling towers were damaged by a "Derecho" (massive straight-line windstorm). Google rationale: "Reactivating a fully operational nuclear plant is more cost-effective and faster than building large-scale nuclear power from scratch." Google has already signed a long-term PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) with NextEra. The data center power equation: a single modern AI training cluster can consume 50-100MW continuously; Google has dozens of data centers globally requiring stable baseload power; renewable energy (solar and wind) provides intermittent power that requires either battery storage or backup generation; nuclear provides 24/7 carbon-free power that solar and wind cannot -- making it uniquely valuable for AI infrastructure that runs continuously. The nuclear restart economics: Duane Arnold existing infrastructure (reactor vessel, turbines, grid connections, trained workforce in the region) significantly reduces restart costs versus new construction; NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) restart approval process exists but is faster than new construction licensing; the $600M+ estimated restart cost is offset against the 40+ year power generation lifetime and Google commitment through PPA.