Stock photo of a nuclear power plant.<\/p>\n
Larry Lee Photography | Corbis | Getty Images<\/p>\n
Google<\/a> and American electrical utility giant NextEra Energy<\/a> announced a partnership Monday to revive Iowa’s only nuclear power plant to meet growing low-carbon energy demand from artificial intelligence<\/p>\n The Duane Arnold Energy Center, which closed in 2020, could begin operating in early 2029, pending regulatory approval.<\/p>\n “Once operational, Google will purchase power from the 615-MW plant as a 24\/7 carbon-free energy source to help power Google’s growing cloud and AI infrastructure in Iowa, while also strengthening local grid reliability,<\/strong>” the companies said in a press release.<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The Central Iowa Power Cooperative, the state’s largest energy provider, has agreed to buy surplus electricity\u00a0leftover by Google.<\/p>\n The Duane Arnold Energy Center’s prior shutdown had come at a time when the nuclear sector was struggling to compete with natural gas and other renewable energy sources due to high operating costs and public perception challenges around safety.<\/p>\n However, the nuclear site’s revival marks a trend, as energy demand in the U.S. has been surging, with tech companies like Google investing billions in developing power-hungry AI data centers.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, total annual electricity consumption stateside hit a record high in 2024<\/a> \u2014 a ceiling that could continue to rise if data centers continue to expand at their current pace.<\/p>\n In the face of rising energy demands, Washington and the tech industry have been pushing nuclear energy as a potential way to address growing concerns about AI computing’s impacts on local energy grids.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The Iowa project follows similar nuclear partnerships, including one <\/a>between Constellation Energy and Microsoft. Meanwhile, computer giant Oracle<\/a> recently said it is designing a data center<\/a> powered by three small nuclear reactors<\/a>.<\/p>\n In addition to bringing more energy online, nuclear energy provides a potential pathway for Big Tech to continue their data center rollout while also curbing carbon emissions.\u00a0<\/p>\n “[The Google-NextEra 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,” Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer of Alphabet and Google, said.<\/p>\n Media outlets<\/a> had taken note when Google, in June, had quietly removed its commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 from the main page of its corporate sustainability website amid expansion of its AI plans.\u00a0<\/p>\n Data center projects across the U.S. have also faced growing public pushback. In September, Google withdrew plans for a new data center in Indiana after community groups raised concerns about resource use and environmental impacts, local media reported<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n