The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday approved a waiver request that will allow NextEra Energy to restart the Duane Arnold nuclear power plant in Iowa by the end of 2029.
NextEra shuttered the roughly 600-MW, single unit Duane Arnold power plant near Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 2020 because of challenging economic conditions. NextEra owns about 70% of Duane Arnold and Central Iowa Power Cooperative and Corn Belt Power Cooperative own about 20% and 10%, respectively.
After Duane Arnold was decommissioned, NextEra — based in Juno Beach, Florida — planned to use the power plant’s interconnection for solar farms.
Now, NextEra needs the waiver so it can use the Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s generator replacement process to consolidate solar interconnection agreements at Duane Arnold with a remaining interconnection agreement for the nuclear power plant, according to FERC. Combined, the agreements total Duane Arnold’s original capacity.
In part, NextEra needs the waiver from MISO’s rules because Duane Arnold would not be back online by Oct. 29, 2026 — the date by which the solar farms must reach commercial operation or have their interconnection agreements terminated, FERC said.
NextEra could bring Duane Arnold back online in the fourth quarter of 2028, but asked for an additional year for the plant to return to service in case there are delays in obtaining equipment or repairs at the plant are needed, according to FERC.
The combined interconnection agreements total Duane Arnold’s historic capacity of up to 619 MW. MISO supported NextEra’s waiver request.
NextEra expects to spend $50 million to $100 million this year to recommission Duane Arnold, according to FERC.
NextEra is talking with potential customers that could buy the output from a restarted Duane Arnold, said John Ketchum, NextEra chairman, president and CEO, during a July 23 earnings conference call.
As part of the potential recommissioning effort, NextEra in January asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to restore Duane Arnold’s operating license.
