The nation’s largest power company is taking the next step to bring the shuttered Duane Arnold nuclear plant back to life — a strategic U-turn that could mark the end for a large solar development.
NextEra Energy filed a request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on July 25 seeking to reclaim interconnection rights that were previously transferred from the nuclear plant to a solar development.
The request speaks to the value of access to the regional power grid as the Midcontinent Independent System Operator grapples with an interconnection backlog. It’s also a sign of how the U.S. energy landscape has changed since the Duane Arnold reactor was unplugged five years ago.
“Since that time, there has been an unprecedented increase in electrical demand from commercial and industrial customers, with an emphasis on high-capacity, reliable, low-emissions power,” NextEra said in the FERC filing.
