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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.
2025 ANS Annual Conference
As Executive Vice President and Chief Generation Officer, Hanson is responsible for the safe, efficient and reliable operation of the new Constellation’s power generation fleet, which includes nearly 100 generating units in 19 states and Canada. Constellation operates the largest clean energy fleet in America, producing electricity from 10 fuel types including nuclear, natural gas, hydro, wind and solar. He serves on the Constellation Executive Committee, which sets strategy and direction for the company.
Constellation is the nation’s largest supplier of clean energy with more than 32,400 megawatts of generating capacity from nuclear, wind, solar, natural gas and hydro assets. The company produces about 10 percent of America’s emissions-free energy, making it a leader in addressing the climate crisis and an indispensable partner to businesses and state and local governments with carbon-reduction goals.
Hanson has more than 30 years of progressive experience in the nuclear power industry. Prior to his current role, Hanson was president and chief nuclear officer of Exelon Generation’s nuclear fleet. In that role, Hanson was responsible for ensuring that Exelon Generation maintained high levels of performance and safety across its nuclear fleet of 21 reactors at 12 facilities that it operates in Illinois, Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania.
During his tenure with Exelon, Hanson served as the nuclear chief operating officer, senior vice president of Midwest operations, site vice president for Braidwood Generating Station and the site vice president for Clinton Power Station. He also has been vice president of nuclear oversight, Limerick Generating Station plant manager, and director of operations and work control.
Hanson is on the board of directors for Easterseals DuPage and the Fox Valley Region and for Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited (NEIL). He also serves on the University of Wisconsin Engineering Physics Advisory Board, the INPO National Nuclear Accrediting Board, the World Nuclear Association Board of Management, and is a member of DTE Energy Company’s Nuclear Review Committee. He is currently chairman of the board of South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company.
Hanson earned a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and a Master of Business Administration from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. Hanson is a graduate of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations Senior Nuclear Plant Management Program and the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University.
Last modified April 16, 2025, 10:20am CDT