In a landmark deal bridging the tech and energy worlds, Google and NextEra Energy have agreed to restart the long-idle Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa — one of the first U.S. nuclear restarts of the modern era. The partnership includes a 25-year power purchase agreement that will supply Google’s expanding cloud and AI data operations with round-the-clock, carbon-free electricity.
Shuttered in 2020 after a devastating derecho storm and years of economic headwinds, the 615-megawatt plant is slated to return to operation by 2029, pending regulatory approval. Under the deal, NextEra will assume full ownership of the facility, modernize its systems, and manage operations once the plant is re-commissioned.
“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,” said Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer of Alphabet and Google, in a statement to the Financial Times.
Electricity demand from data centers is surging at the fastest pace in decades—driven by artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cloud computing. Once considered a novel experiment, these kinds of long-term clean-power deals between tech giants and utilities are rapidly multiplying as companies scramble to secure reliable, carbon-free energy for AI-era workloads.
The Google–NextEra partnership is evidence of the new normal: utilities and cloud providers joining forces to modernize aging assets and meet soaring demand without reverting to fossil fuel generation.
For the energy sector, the deal signals growing private-sector confidence in nuclear’s role within the clean-energy mix. For Google, it reinforces a broader corporate push toward 24/7 carbon-free operations across all facilities by 2030.
The restart is expected to bring hundreds of construction jobs, high-skilled plant roles, and new tax revenue to the Cedar Rapids region—reviving an energy hub that once powered more than 600,000 homes. And for utilities, the project could serve as a roadmap for grid stability, delivering the kind of reliable baseload generation that complements intermittent renewables.
The project still faces review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and will likely undergo a full modernization of safety systems, digital controls, and cooling infrastructure. Analysts say the 2029 target is ambitious but achievable with sustained investment and policy support. If successful, Duane Arnold could become a model for repowering America’s retired reactors—a trend utilities are eyeing as they race to meet clean-energy mandates without sacrificing reliability.
Together, NextEra and Google are making a calculated bet on nuclear’s renaissance in the American heartland.
