(July 2, 2025) On July 1, the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors voted to approve zoning changes that open the door for nuclear energy development in western Iowa. The vote followed months of public hearings and technical recommendations from the county’s Zoning Commission, culminating in a formal update to the county code. For the first time, nuclear reactors and nuclear waste storage facilities are explicitly listed as conditional uses within the county’s general industrial zoning districts. It’s a quiet but significant move, signaling a shift in how counties like Woodbury are preparing for future energy development.
Meanwhile, across the state in Linn County, officials are also updating their zoning code to accommodate the possibility of nuclear energy. In Palo, the dormant Duane Arnold nuclear site—decommissioned in 2020—is being considered for revival. Linn County’s Planning & Zoning Commission has hosted public meetings and is currently working on a zoning amendment that would allow nuclear energy generation and waste storage, while also establishing safety and notification protocols. The proposed code could go before the county’s Board of Supervisors later this summer.
These local decisions mirror a broader policy effort that played out at the state level this year. Governor Kim Reynolds’ 2025 energy bill sought to update Iowa’s energy code to support nuclear energy. The bill would have legally defined nuclear reactors within Iowa law and created mechanisms for utilities to recover costs for nuclear projects. Backed by utilities such as MidAmerican Energy, Alliant Energy, and Black Hills, the bill was also supported by the Iowa Farm Bureau and organized labor, who saw economic potential in long-term infrastructure investments. Despite passing out of committee, the bill failed to reach a floor vote before the legislative session ended.
While Iowa’s debate is just beginning, nuclear power has been at the heart of the U.S. energy mix for decades. Today, there are 94 operating nuclear reactors across 54 plants in the United States. That number is down from a peak of 112 reactors in 1991, though the decline has recently leveled off. In 2024, Georgia’s Vogtle Unit 4 began commercial operations—the first new reactor to come online in the U.S. since 2016. Still, the country’s nuclear fleet is aging. The average reactor is now 42 years old. That’s significantly older than the global average of 31 years. Many U.S. plants were originally licensed for 40 years of operation but have since received 20-year extensions, with some now approved to operate up to 80 years under new federal guidelines.
The age of reactors has raised concerns. Over time, reactors experience wear and degradation in critical systems—metal fatigue, corrosion, and embrittlement of reactor vessels. Many of the electrical and control systems designed in the 1970s and 1980s are outdated and require extensive, expensive upgrades to meet modern safety standards. While the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requires continuous monitoring and periodic safety assessments, critics argue that current oversight may not fully account for the long-term risks of aging infrastructure. These concerns are magnified by the continued absence of a federal solution for nuclear waste. Since the first U.S. commercial reactors came online, about 90,000 metric tons of high-level spent fuel have been generated. Most of it is still stored on-site in either spent fuel pools or dry casks. The proposed long-term storage site at Yucca Mountain in Nevada has been stalled for over a decade, and while technologies like deep borehole disposal or chemical recycling offer potential, they remain largely unproven or undeployed at scale.
Iowa’s reentry into the nuclear discussion comes at a time when the state is already a national leader in clean energy. In 2023, Iowa generated over 63 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, most of it from wind. That’s the highest share of wind energy in the country. Solar, while still a small fraction of the mix, has grown rapidly in recent years. The rest of Iowa’s electricity comes primarily from coal and natural gas, with small contributions from hydroelectric and biomass. Crucially, Iowa is a net exporter of electricity, producing more than it consumes and sending excess power to neighboring states. This unique position gives Iowa both opportunity and leverage as it weighs future energy options.
The conversation around nuclear power is shifting—not with sweeping declarations but with zoning amendments, policy proposals, and quiet public meetings. In counties like Woodbury and Linn, and in the halls of the state legislature, Iowa is beginning to ask whether nuclear energy belongs in its future. The answer is still far from clear. But the question is no longer hypothetical.
Sources
U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), “Iowa State Profile and Energy Estimates”
U.S. EIA, “How many nuclear power plants are in the United States, and where are they located?”
U.S. NRC, “Backgrounder on Aging Nuclear Plants”
Woodbury County Board of Supervisors meeting documents, July 2025
Linn County Planning & Development zoning notices and commission summaries, June–July 2025
Georgia Power press release, “Vogtle Unit 4 Begins Commercial Operation,” April 2024
Iowa Environmental Council, “Iowa Wind Energy Overview”
Clean Grid Alliance, “Midwest Clean Energy Report,” 2023
Business Insider, “Nuclear’s Role in Tech and Energy Future,” 2025
Vox, “The Nuclear Waste Problem,” 2024
World Nuclear Association, “Nuclear Power in the United States,” updated 2024