NextEra secures full ownership of Iowa nuclear power plant being restarted for Google data centers, CEO says (updated)
UPDATE 1-NextEra secures full ownership of Iowa nuclear power plant being restarted for Google data centers, CEO says Adds context on power demand
By Laila Kearney
NEW YORK, July 24 (Reuters) - NextEra Energy NEE.N has become sole owner of a shut nuclear power plant in Iowa that is being restarted under contract to supply Google GOOGL.O data centers, NextEra CEO John Ketchum said on Friday.
NextEra acquired the remaining 30% minority interest in the Duane Arnold Nuclear Power plant from two rural utilities, roughly nine months after announcing its plans to resume operations of the plant.
Rising U.S. electricity demand -- propelled by Big Tech's data center expansion -- has resulted in multiple attempts to restart shut nuclear reactors around the country.
Constellation Energy CEG.O is also in the process of restarting its Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania with a power purchase agreement from Microsoft.
So far, no fully shut reactor has been resurrected and produced commercial electricity.
Ketchum, on a call with investors, said his company is on track to produce electricity from the plant by early 2029.
(Reporting by Laila Kearney in New York
Editing by Nick Zieminski)