The Duane Arnold Energy Center is located in Palo, Iowa, approximately nine miles northwest of Cedar Rapids. It is bordered by cornfields of neighboring farms and the banks of the Cedar River. (Source: NextEra Energy Inc.)
U.S. energy company NextEra Energy Inc. said this week it wants to build a 690-megawatt (MW) solar project at the site of its closed Duane Arnold nuclear plant in Iowa.
NextEra’s NextEra Energy Resources unit proposed to build the $700 million project, which it said on its website will create about 300 construction jobs.
The company shut the nuclear reactor in August 2020 after a massive storm damaged the plant’s cooling towers. NextEra had planned to retire the plant in October 2020.
NextEra Energy Resources, the world’s largest generator of renewable energy via wind and sun, operates solar projects in 27 states, according to the company’s website.
The Iowa project will encompass about 3,500 acres and is scheduled to begin operations by the end of 2023.
With the Biden administration seeking to get all of the nation’s electricity from clean energy sources by 2035, Iowa is well on its way to transitioning away from fossil fuels, like coal, to cleaner forms of energy like wind and solar.
Wind generated 58% of the power produced in the state in 2020, with the rest mostly coming from coal (24%), natural gas (12%), nuclear (5%) and hydro (1%), according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
One megawatt can power about 1,000 U.S. homes.
Recommended Reading
Delivering Dividends Through Digital Technology
2024-12-30 - Increasing automation is creating a step change across the oil and gas life cycle.
Shale Outlook: E&Ps Making More U-Turn Laterals, Problem-Free
2025-01-09 - Of the more than 70 horseshoe wells drilled to date, half came in the first nine months of 2024 as operators found 2-mile, single-section laterals more economic than a pair of 1-mile straight holes.
Baker Hughes: US Drillers Keep Oil and NatGas Rigs Unchanged for Third Week
2024-12-27 - U.S. energy firms this week operated the same number of oil and natural gas rigs for third week in a row.
Baker Hughes: US Drillers Keep Oil, NatGas Rigs Unchanged for Second Week
2024-12-20 - U.S. energy firms this week kept the number of oil and natural gas rigs unchanged for the second week in a row.
Valeura Boosts Production, Finds New Targets in Gulf of Thailand
2025-03-03 - Valeura Energy Inc. has boosted production after drilling three development wells and two appraisal wells in the Gulf of Thailand.
Comments
Add new comment
This conversation is moderated according to Hart Energy community rules. Please read the rules before joining the discussion. If you’re experiencing any technical problems, please contact our customer care team.