Google will restart Iowa's shuttered Duane Arnold nuclear reactor by 2029, partnering with NextEra Energy to secure 615 megawatts of zero-carbon power for its data centers in a 25-year deal.
Driving the news: The tech giant announced the revival plan on October 27–28, 2025, marking the latest move by Big Tech to lock down reliable, carbon-free electricity as AI workloads explode.
Why it matters: Data center companies contracted more than 17 GW of clean-energy deals in 2024, accounting for roughly 60% of corporate clean-energy deals in the United States. Nuclear restarts offer a faster path to massive power capacity than building new plants from scratch.
The backstory: The Duane Arnold Energy Center went dark in 2020 after a summer derecho damaged its secondary containment system—the safeguard preventing radioactive gas releases. NextEra has been hunting for a restart partner ever since.
By the numbers:
- 615 MW total capacity (601 MW original, plus 14 MW from upgrades)
- Google gets majority of output; Central Iowa Power Cooperative takes the rest
- 2029 target restart date
- Neither company disclosed financial terms
The big picture: This isn't a one-off. Microsoft struck a 20-year deal with Constellation Energy in September 2024 to restart Three Mile Island's Unit 1 reactor by 2028—a $1.6 billion project delivering 835 MW. Michigan's Palisades plant is also targeting a late 2025–2026 restart after securing DOE loan support and NRC approvals earlier this year.
Between the lines: Reactor restarts shave years off timelines compared to new nuclear construction, but they're still years-long projects requiring multiple NRC licensing changes, state permits, and major equipment overhauls. That puts them in competition with natural gas plants, which also take years to develop.
Reality check: While Google waits for nuclear, it's also deploying solar and batteries—which can come online in months, not years. For America, this means a multi-pronged approach to powering the AI revolution.
What's next: NextEra must secure NRC approvals and navigate multi-year equipment deliveries before the 2029 target becomes reality. The company also plans to buy out minority stakeholders, including the Central Iowa Power Cooperative's 20% stake.
The bottom line: Tech's hunger for electricity is breathing new life into America's dormant nuclear fleet—but the 2029 timeline is conditional on clearing regulatory hurdles that have tripped up similar projects before.
