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Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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Getting back to yes: A local perspective on decommissioning, restart, and responsibility
For 45 years, Duane Arnold Energy Center operated in Linn County, Ia., near the town of Palo and just northwest of Cedar Rapids. The facility, owned by NextEra Energy, was the only nuclear power plant in the state.
In August 2020, a historic derecho swept across eastern Iowa with winds approaching 140 miles per hour. Damage to the plant’s cooling towers accelerated a shutdown that had already been planned, and the facility entered decommissioning soon after, with its fuel removed in October of that year. Iowa’s only nuclear plant had gone off line.
Today the national energy landscape looks very different than it did just six short years ago. Electricity demand is rising rapidly as data centers, artificial intelligence infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and electrification expand across the country. Reliable, carbon-free baseload power has become increasingly valuable. In that context, Linn County has approved the rezoning necessary to support the recommissioning and restart of Duane Arnold and is actively supporting NextEra’s efforts to secure the remaining state and federal approvals.
Award Recipient Photos
Kenneth D. Lewis
Fitz Trumble
University of Michigan (Best Section)University of Wisconsin- Madison (Best Section)Missouri University of Science & Technology (Honorable Mention)Texas A&M University (Honorable Mention)
Denis Beller
Bal-Raj Sehgal
Georges Vendryes
Small Local SectionsWashington, DC (Best Membership)Virginia (Best Meetings and Programs)Trinity (Best Public Information and Education)
Ronald J. BrunoArthur H. FriedmanTimothy McGheeRenee C. MilnerJohn SteinerPeter Tocci, Jr.Ann D. Winters
Texas A&M Nuclear Science CenterUniversity of Florida Text ReactorPurdue University ReactorOregon State UniversityWashington State University Nuclear ReactorUniversity of Wisconsin Nuclear ReactorNeutron Radiography Reactor
Robert E. Uhrig
Prashant K. Jain
Theodore M. Besmann
ZED-2 Heavy Water Critical Facility
Sue Coleman
G. Robert Odette
Virginia D. ClearySamuel J. CollinsDonald R. HoffmanRoss F. Radel
William Howard Arnoid
Nick Tsoulfanidis
Richard J. K. Stratford
Ernest D. EasonG. Robert OdetteRandy K. NanstadTakuya Yamamoto and Joyce E. Wright.
Allen CampThomas McLaughlin
GraduateUniversity of MichiganBenjamin Betzler, Hiruy Hadgu, C. Lawrence, Matt Orians, Andrew Pavlou and A. Poitrasson-RiviereUniversity of TennesseeMatthew Cook, Oscar Lastres, S. Hogle, Martin GrossbeckUndergraduateNorth Carolina State UniversityJustin Carey, J. Michael Doster, Jesse Holmes, Chris Long, Amber Smart, Josh WestUniversity of Rhode IslandMichael Audette, Charlie Hanley, James Leuzarder, Daniel McCleary, Kevin Plourde
Per Peterson
Luiz Leal
Alice Ying
David J. Diamond
Kewaunee Power Station
Michael Kansler
John W. Landis
Arielle Miller
Arielle Jennifer Miller
