Another Shuttered Nuclear Power Plant Is Getting New Life, Thanks To Big Tech

The Duane Arnold Energy Center successful Iowa.

Google announced plans to revive a atomic powerfulness works that unopen down successful 2020, arsenic it looks to unafraid capable energy for its AI information centers.

The institution announced a 25-year statement pinch NextEra Energy to yet acquisition energy from nan Duane Arnold Energy Center, a 615MW atomic works successful Iowa, erstwhile it starts operating again. “We’re enabling nan finance to restart nan works and covering costs for nan accumulation of power from Duane Arnold,” Google says successful a blog post. The Central Iowa Power Cooperative will acquisition remaining energy from nan works that Google doesn’t use.

It’s nan latest move by Google and different tech companies to revitalize atomic power successful nan US

It’s nan latest move by Google and different tech companies to revitalize atomic power successful nan US, which has struggled to compete pinch falling costs for gas, solar, and upwind powerfulness complete nan years. As powerfulness grids scramble to support up pinch increasing energy request from AI, atomic power has go a much charismatic action for generating carbon-free power around-the-clock for information centers.

Duane Arnold first started generating powerfulness successful 1975, and is slated to commencement moving again successful 2029. But getting it operational will beryllium nary mini task; nan US has ne'er restarted a mothballed atomic plant, Reuters reports. Microsoft announced plans past twelvemonth to thief revive a shuttered reactor astatine Three Mile Island, which is expected to sputter backmost to life successful 2028.

Google says that turning an aged powerfulness works backmost connected is “the fastest way to unlock large-scale atomic powerfulness to meet AI maturation successful nan near-term.” The institution is besides moving pinch NextEra and Kairos Power to create next-generation atomic reactors, but those precocious designs still look lengthy certification and permitting processes.