How Google and NextEra Energy are leading AI growth with nuclear power

The US is undergoing a new era of innovation and opportunity largely driven by AI, which has led Google to embark on a strategic collaboration with NextEra Energy.

The agreement involves restarting the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa, as Google and NextEra Energy hope to accelerate nuclear deployment across the US. Expected to be back online in early 2029, Google said the plant should provide more than 600MW of clean, safe and ‘always-on’ nuclear energy to the regional grid.

Restarting the plant hopes to increase generation capacity for the region. Crucially, energy customers in Iowa will not bear any costs associated with the deal, NextEra Energy said.

Turbocharging AI infrastructure

Duane Arnold is also a strategic part of Google’s strategy to support its growing cloud and AI infrastructure in Iowa, hoping to bring thousands of jobs and economic benefits to the state.

Google will be investing in Iowa more broadly, with reported plans to develop as many as six data centres near Duane Arnold – although no timeline has been shared.

“Restarting a once fully operational plant is the fastest path to unlock large-scale nuclear power to meet AI growth in the near-term,” Google said via a blog post on Monday.

“This builds on other ways we’re working to rapidly enable access to reliable, affordable and scalable energy solutions, from advancing new clean generation to making our demand more flexible and deploying next-generation transmission technology.”

Having been shut down in 2020, this is a 25-year agreement from Google – with NextEra Energy also signing to acquire CIPCO and Corn Belt Power Cooperative’s combined 30% interest in the plant to own it 100%.

Why Google is tapping up nuclear

Increasing appetite for AI has led to places like the US facing growing electricity and power needs. As a result, industry leaders across the country are committing to new ways to invest in AI infrastructure and data centre development.

Through this deal, both organisations said they are hoping to position Google to deploy AI that can grow the American economy, create jobs, accelerate scientific advances, improve health and educational outcomes and strengthen national and global security.

“Building on two decades of work in Iowa, including our recent $7 billion investment in the state this May, Google is proud to partner with NextEra Energy to reopen the Duane Arnold Energy Center,” said Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer of Alphabet and Google.

“This 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.”

Google first earmarked its interest in nuclear power for data centres last year, having signed a corporate agreement with Kairos Power to purchase nuclear energy from multiple small modular reactors (SMRs).

The decision to invest was made on account of the US grid requiring new electricity sources to support AI technologies.

Google was also part of nearly 200 companies, alongside Amazon, Meta and Dow, who signed a pledge of support in March 2025 to triple global nuclear capacity by 2050.

Google to invest $15bn in AI data centre in India

Google and Oracle face extortion campaign as cybercriminals target enterprise systems