RestartingReactor Restart
Duane Arnold Energy Center restart
📍 IA
Capacity
615 MW
Expected Operation
—
Reactor Type
GE BWR
Regulatory Status
NRC reviewing three license amendments to reauthorize power operations; Atomic Safety and Licensing Board set up after a 2026-06-22 hearing request by Physicians for Social Responsibility Iowa; Iowa Utilities Commission issued certificate June 2026; DOE closed loan of up to $1.9B on 2026-09-08.
Details
Primary Use
Power generation
Research detail · verified 2026-10-10
Stage
Restart under way
Commercial power
Yes
NRC docket
50-331
Stated target operation
No later than Q1 2029, subject to regulatory approvals (NextEra, reported by Neutron Bytes 2026-09-08); 'around the end of 2028 or beginning of 2029' (NextEra CEO Brian Bolster, KCRG 2026-09-08)
Stated construction jobs
About 1,500 construction and refurbishment jobs (DOE/NextEra announcement 2026-09-08, as reported by KCRG and Neutron Bytes)
Stated operations jobs
More than 450 permanent jobs (DOE/NextEra announcement 2026-09-08, as reported by KCRG and Neutron Bytes)
Key dates
2020-08-10 shut down after derecho damage; 2025-01 NextEra filed with NRC toward restart; 2025-10-28 NextEra-Google 25-year PPA and restart announced; 2026-03-30 NRC order approving transfer of CIPCO and Corn Belt shares to NextEra; 2026-04-16 NRC public meeting in Cedar Rapids; 2026-06 Iowa Utilities Commission certificate; 2026-06-22 hearing request filed, licensing board established (FR 2026-06-29); 2026-09-08 DOE closed $1.9B loan
Not verified / conflicts
Jobs conflict: a search summary gave 1,600+ construction jobs and about 400 operations jobs, but every page I opened (KCRG, Dakota News Now, Neutron Bytes, all 2026-09-08) says about 1,500 and 450+, so those are used. Capacity: DOE/NextEra say 615 MW; ANS gives 622 MWe / 621.9 MWe. Not confirmed: a $4M investment in Kirkwood Community College, and the Cedar Rapids Gazette report that about 120 people have been hired, about 40% with prior Duane Arnold ties (Gazette site unreachable). The NRC said in April 2026 that the license could be approved around January 2028 if inspections go well (KCRG 2026-04-15, from a search snippet). That is an NRC estimate, not a developer target.
Sources
- https://neutronbytes.com/2026/09/08/doe-closes-1-9-billion-loan-to-restart-duane-arnold-nuclear-plant-in-iowa/
- https://www.kcrg.com/2026/09/08/19-billion-federal-loan-moves-duane-arnold-nuclear-plant-closer-restart/
- https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2026/09/08/duane-arnold-energy-center-restart-under-19b-federal-loan/
- https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-29/html/2026-13004.htm
- https://www.ans.org/news/tag-nextera energy/
- https://www.ans.org/news/2025-10-28/article-7501/nextera-and-google-ink-a-deal-to-restart-duane-arnold/
State Policy Context
View nuclear-related legislation and energy stats for Iowa