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Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
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.
VIEW RECIPIENTSSUBMIT NOMINATION
Nomination Deadline
March 1
Presented at the
Annual Conference
The Meritorious Performance in Operations Award recognizes outstanding performance by both licensed and unlicensed personnel in the operation of nuclear facilities. It can be awarded to an individual or group who worked as a team.
The outstanding performance may be activities of the following type:
Nominees need not be ANS members, but shall be individuals of good character who are, or who have been, active in nuclear operations.
The award consists of an engraved plaque to be presented to the recipient(s) at an OPD function at the ANS Annual Conference.
This award was established in 1984 on the recommendation of the Operations and Power Division (previously known as the Reactor Operations Division) . A major objective is to encourage exemplary performance in nuclear operations and to recognize truly meritorious contributions irrespective of organizational affiliation.
Nominations of worthy candidates for the award are solicited by the chair of the OPD Honors and Awards Committee and can be submitted by any member of the Society. The award need not be given in periods when qualified candidates are not submitted. Multiple awards are allowed in a year when more than one exceptionally qualified candidate is submitted.
The award is intended for both licensed and unlicensed personnel who comprise an active part in the operation of a nuclear facility and who have performed in an exemplary manner.
Indications of such performance may be the following:
A panel constituted by the chair of the OPD Honors and Awards Committee makes the selection of the recipient. The ANS Honors and Awards Committee is available for consultation and review as appropriate.
View Award
