Elizabeth Miglin | April 1, 2021
NextEra Energy Resources of Florida plans to convert the idle Duane Arnold Energy Center in Palo, Linn County into a new solar farm. Previously, the 615-MW nuclear power plant powered 600,000 homes and the new solar farm is expected to surpass that with a capacity of 690-MW.
The solar farm will span 3,500 acres around the energy center and will include 60-megawatts (MW) of AC-coupled batteries for power storage. NextEra plans to invest $700 million over 30 years into the project resulting in $41.6 million in tax revenue and 300 construction jobs. The company hires as many workers from the local area as possible for these projects.