Nuclear energy is experiencing a renaissance in the United States and around the world.
The U.S. Department of Energy has set a goal of tripling U.S. nuclear energy capacity by mid-century. Japan is restarting its nuclear power plants and aims to generate 20% of its electricity through nuclear power by 2040. South Korea plans to put two new reactors into operation by 2038. Around the world, 75 nuclear reactors are under construction and another 120 are planned.
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The only problem? Building new nuclear power plants takes a long time, averaging about five years, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
However, this is not a problem for dividend investors who hold stocks for the long term, allowing their wealth to grow over time. This is why some of the best nuclear investments are dividend payers, such as next generation energy (NYSE: NEE).
NextEra is a very simple business. After all, this is a power company. What sets it apart is that it operates a large fleet of nuclear reactors: seven reactors at four plants in Florida, New Hampshire and Wisconsin, with a fifth plant under construction expected to be completed by 2029.
The company also operates other types of clean energy facilities, such as wind, solar and natural gas. It also has some existing natural gas pipeline infrastructure. This gives it some nice variety, but I’m most interested in NextEra’s core capabilities, so that’s letterGoogle’s parent company.
In late 2025, NextEra announced it would partner with Google to bring the Duane Arnold Nuclear Generating Station in Iowa back online to primarily power Google data centers in the region. The deal includes a 25-year power purchase agreement for Google, as well as an agreement to explore other potential nuclear power plant opportunities across the country. When the Duane Arnold plant becomes operational, scheduled for the first quarter of 2029, it will be NextEra’s fifth nuclear power plant.
NextEra was already doing well before this. The company’s net earnings per share (EPS) will grow 28.5% in 2025 and is expected to post an EPS compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8% through 2035, which the Duane Arnold plant and Google power purchase agreement will certainly help.
Now looking at the dividend, at current prices it yields 2.5%, one of the higher yields among nuclear power companies. The company’s dividends have grown every year for the past 32 years, making it a Dividend King more than halfway through. Dividend Kings are companies that have increased their dividends every year for 50 years or more.
