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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.
Friday, August 21, 2026|7:15AM–2:50PM CDT
Meet in Hotel Lobby at 7:00am
LAST DAY TO REGISTER IS SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2026
Price: $95 (lunch and transportation will be included)
Capacity: 48 participants
Tour description
Chrysalis
This facility is currently being constructed, but it will ultimately house 8 fusion neutron sources, each of which will drive an aqueous subcritical fission assembly. After irradiation, short lived fission products, such as Mo-99, will be chemically isolated from the uranium solution. Our fusion production platform will make Chrysalis the world’s largest source of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99). The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is licensing Chrysalis under its Part 50 framework; the same rigorous code used for nuclear reactors. It’s the first advanced nuclear facility in decades to be approved through this process.
FLARE: Fusion Linear Accelerator for Radiation Effects
Built on our core fusion technology, FLARE is a service that tests and validates materials for aerospace, defense, and advanced energy applications. Launched in 2024, it delivers steady 14 MeV fusion neutrons—the same conditions materials experience in nuclear and space environments. FLARE quickly gives customers the data they need to design and qualify mission-critical systems. Early contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense and leading aerospace companies highlight its emergence as the new standard in radiation-effects testing.
Requirements
Offered to attendees only
Refund info
Please note tour refunds are only available prior to the early-bird deadline. After this date, all tour bookings are considered final and non-refundable. We appreciate your understanding.