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Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
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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.
10:00–11:40AM EST
Cumberland C
Session Chair: Drew Thomas|Alternate Chair: Charles Lease
Cumberland B
Session Chair: Amanda Cobb
Panel|Cumberland A
Session Chair: Lori Brady|Alternate Chair: Tim Riti
1:00–2:40PM EST
Session Chair: Bert Barnes
Session Chair: Billy Wilson
Session Chair: Hannah Hunnicutt
3:20–5:00PM EST
Session Chair: Liv Blackmon
Session Chair: John Mobley
Session Chair: Drew Thomas|Alternate Chair: Olivia Blackmon
10:10–11:50AM EST
Session Chair: Dave Helling
1:10–2:50PM EST
Session Chair: Dan Randolph
8:00–9:40AM EST
Cumberland A
Session Chair: Drew Thomas
