The Linn County Board of Supervisors are paving the way for Iowa to make its way back into the nuclear energy space. 

The supervisors approved a new ordinance for nuclear energy at a Sept. 3 meeting. Though not authorizing a plant, the change creates the legal framework for the proposal of a new plant in the future. 

The ordinance sets land use rules, application requirements, and a Host Community Agreement, or HCA, which is a legally binding contract requiring a nuclear facility to compensate Linn County to cover costs associated with public safety, emergency response, infrastructure, and other community impacts associated with hosting the facility.

The ordinance coincides with NextEra Energy’s announcement in late January that it plans to reopen the Duane Arnold power plant by late 2028. Located in Palo, Iowa, it is the state’s only nuclear power plant. 

The plant’s startup still remains under the authority of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission but the Linn County ordinance works to lay the groundwork for a safe reintroduction to nuclear energy. 

Brandy Meisheid, chair of the Linn County Board of Supervisors, said she especially believes the HCA protects taxpayers by ensuring companies like NextEra cover the costs of public safety and infrastructure, rather than shifting them onto residents. 

“We can only give Linn County a voice through local regulations,” she said. “I do think that allows us to put public safety first and makes certain that there’s no financial impact to our taxpayers and that any impact on the county would be paid for by the nuclear company.”

Since NextEra requested the commission, they have also reached out to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to request an extension on the reopening date, now allowing up to late 2029.

The waiver was approved Aug. 25, giving NextEra extra time to acquire equipment, upgrades, and regulatory compliance before the commission grants final operational approval.

RELATED: Iowa’s only nuclear power plant could reopen late 2028

Viktoria Mitlyng, senior public affairs officer of the commission, laid out the two review tracks for Duane Arnold, ahead of a potential renewal certifying reopening.

“One focuses on licensing reviews with the goal of making sure the plant can transition from its current decommissioning status to the operating status,” Mitlyng wrote in an email to The Daily Iowan. “The second track involves in-depth inspections to ensure the plant’s equipment and programs meet the safety and security requirements for an operating reactor.”

At the board’s Aug. 25 work session, Charlie Nichols, Linn County director of planning & development, said now was the right time to pass the ordinance and prepare to welcome future nuclear power plants into Iowa. He cited Duane Arnold’s intention to reopen, but also other national trends.

In early 2025, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds proposed a nuclear energy task force. In July, she reasserted her commitment to create the task force. 

Nichols said the county is well-positioned to be a part of an emerging energy transition.

“We have a legacy nuclear site. The county has both the geographic and infrastructure foundations to host next-generation energy projects,” Nichols said.

Nichols said the federal government still handles the heavy-hitting roles of radiation and waste handling, issuing licenses for construction and operation of nuclear facilities, inspecting construction of nuclear facilities, and overseeing long-term storage and transportation of nuclear waste. 

“The local government plays a critical but distinct role, focusing on land use compatibility and limited site design standards like minimum distances between a facility and property lines,” he said. 

Nichols noted there were requests among residents for the HCA to keep paying the county for safety and waste management even after a power plant closed. 

The board couldn’t directly approve such requests because the county doesn’t have authority over nuclear safety or long-term nuclear waste storage. The final ordinance now requires payments until the NRC says the county no longer needs an emergency plan.

Kirsten Running-Marquardt, vice-chair of the Linn County Board of Supervisors, said the ordinance adequately prepares the county to reopen its doors for nuclear energy.

“This is a very good, fair, and reasonable ordinance that allows for the Linn County Board of Supervisors to do its best to protect not only the financial but safety interests that we have here with a nuclear plant starting back up, possibly sooner rather than later,” she said at the Sept. 3 formal meeting.