Equity analysts had anticipated that the company might announce a deal to restart the 601 MW Duane Arnold plant during the Thursday call despite potential challenges such as competition with robust regional wind resources, according to Jefferies Research Services. And although the expected announcement did not come, Ketchum said the plant could be among the few that could reopen and operate economically. The company is currently running engineering assessments and speaking with local stakeholders about what it would take to reopen the plant, he said.
But Ketchum said he was “not bullish” on the newer SMR technology. NextEra has an in-house team dedicated to SMRs, he said, but so far they have not drawn favorable conclusions about the technology.