The US Department of Energy (DOE) has finalised a USD1.9bn loan to NextEra Energy to support the restart of the 615 MW Duane Arnold nuclear power plant in Linn County, Iowa (United States) (US DOE statement, 08/09/2026).
The Duane Arnold Energy Center ceased operations in 2020. In October 2025, NextEra Energy announced plans to bring it back online no later than the first quarter of 2029, subject to regulatory approvals, according to a NextEra Energy press release. Subject to the required licensing approvals from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the power plant’s restart is expected to restore reliable nuclear generation to the grid and help address rising electricity demand across Iowa and the Midwest, the DOE said.
According to the statement, this latest closing brings the number of nuclear plant restarts financed by the DOE to three, while the department has also completed four concurrent conditional commitments and financial closings under the Trump Administration.
Interest in nuclear power generation is increasing as a means of meeting rising electricity demand from data centers, including through the restart of older nuclear facilities. Constellation Energy is working to restart the 835 MW Crane nuclear power plant, formerly known as Three Mile Island Unit 1 (Utility Dive, 08/09/2026).
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