County to research zoning if Duane Arnold nuclear plant restart proceeds

Charlie Nichols, Linn County Director of Planning and Development, told the board that NextEra and Duane Arnold Energy Center staff visited county offices to discuss an investigation into restarting the Duane Arnold nuclear power plant. "They don't have a, you know, timeline for when that decision was done," Nichols said, adding county staff were asked to gather information.

Nichols said the county lacks zoning code that specifically addresses nuclear generation and that staff will research examples and bring proposals next year. "We don't have any zoning code on our books to address this," he said, and added that because the plant stopped producing energy more than a year ago it would not be considered a grandfathered use under current zoning.

Supervisors asked whether state or other permitting bodies could supersede local decisions. Nichols said land-use zoning for the site would be within the county's jurisdiction for approval, but noted there are aspects of plant operations the county would not inspect or permit. He also discussed how a restarted nuclear plant could affect utility-scale solar capacity in the area; Nichols said the Duane Arnold plant is licensed for about 600 megawatts while recent solar phases produced roughly 100—125 megawatts each. He said the county plans outreach to communities with comparable projects to learn what worked and what to avoid.

Why it matters: a decision to restart Duane Arnold would raise land-use and public-safety questions and could limit future utility-scale solar siting in parts of the county. Nichols told the board staff will return with research and potential code language for the board to consider next year.

What happens next: planning staff will research zoning approaches used by other communities and prepare code proposals for board discussion and possible referral to the Planning and Zoning Commission.