United Group Insurance

Offline Iowa nuclear plant eyed as site of solar project

News

March 18th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) β€” A decommissioned eastern Iowa nuclear plant could become the site of a new massive solar energy project. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that NextEra Energy of Florida this week laid out plans with nearby landowners to build a solar farm near the now-idle Duane Arnold Energy Center. The company said the project, planned for 2023, could bring in a $700 million capital investment and about 300 construction jobs. The solar farm would stretch across 3,500 acres near the plant in Palo and would produce up to 690 megawatts of solar energy β€” even more than the nuclear plant had generated.