NextEra considers restarting Iowa nuclear plant amid rising demand for carbon-free energy

Original Article:

Source: Link

NextEra Energy is considering restarting a nuclear plant in Iowa as demand for carbon-free energy grows amid a historic surge in electricity consumption. The Duane Arnold Energy Center in Palo, Iowa ceased operations in 2020 after 45 years of service. NextEra CEO John Ketchum said Wednesday a thorough review of the risks is needed to see if restarting the reactor is feasible. "There would be opportunities and a lot of demand from the market if we were able to do something with Duane Arnold," Ketchum said on NextEra's second-quarter earnings call Wednesday. "We're looking at it," he said. "But we would only do it if we could do it in a way that is essentially risk free with plenty of mitigants around the approach. There are few things we would have to work through." The Duane Arnold plant was scheduled for retirement in late 2020 after a key customer, Alliant Energy, sought cheaper energy alternatives. The plant ceased operations two months earlier than expected after a derecho, a powerful windstorm, damaged some portions of the plant including its cooling towers. Nuclear energy fell out of favor over the past decade as plants struggled to compete with cheaper energy sources such as natural gas and renewables. The 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan also raised safety concerns. A dozen nuclear reactors in the U.S. closed from 2013 through April 2021, according to the Congressional Research Service.