What restarting the Duane Arnold power plant tells us about nuclear energy under the Trump administration

NextEra Energy and Google are partnering to bring the 615-megawatt Duane Arnold Energy Center, near Cedar Rapids, Iowa, back online by early 2029. The nuclear plant was decommissioned after a 2020 derecho damaged its cooling towers. Google has made an initial investment to secure a power purchase agreement for over 90% of the plant's output, contingent on federal approval, and is exploring building a data center directly south of the plant on land potentially annexed by the city of Palo. The project is viewed as a significant economic opportunity, with Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell highlighting its potential $9 billion economic impact and 400 new jobs. Former plant employees, like Frank Van Etten, expressed pride and support for the restart at public meetings. However, the plan faces scrutiny from environmental groups and researchers. Don Safer of the Sierra Club raised concerns about the long-term viability of spent fuel storage and potential public health impacts. Joseph Mangano of the Radiation and Public Health Project presented research suggesting higher cancer rates in Linn and Benton counties during the plant's operation, though the NRC disputes his methodology. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is currently reviewing a "bundle" of licensing actions for the plant, with a decision expected by January 2028. NRC Project Manager Justin Poole confirmed this would transition the plant from decommissioning to operational status. April Nguyen, who leads the NRC's inspection team, assured that executive orders aimed at "reducing unnecessary burdens" would not compromise safety inspections. Professor Tori Forbes of the University of Iowa noted nuclear power's high power density as an attractive feature for companies like Google, which are being pressed by the Trump administration to provide for their own power needs. The article also contextualizes the project within a broader Trump administration push to fast-track nuclear development and encourage tech companies to build their own power plants for data centers, citing a "Ratepayer Protection Pledge." While NextEra is also considering small modular reactors, the immediate focus is on restarting Duane Arnold to meet growing electricity demand, especially from data centers, despite ongoing environmental and public health debates.