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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.
Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space (NETS-2022) Plenary SPeaker
President and CEO
Ohio Aerospace Institute
Dr. John Sankovic is the President and CEO of the Ohio Aerospace Institute, leading the organization’s Aerospace Industry Association, public-private industry consortia, federal research support, technology-based economic development, and STEM education programs. The Ohio Aerospace Institute is a, Private, not-for-profit 501(c)3, founded in 1989, with support from the State of Ohio and Ohio Astronaut and Senator John Glenn. It is the first NASA associated collaborative Institute chartered to foster relationships between universities, aerospace industries, and government organizations.
Prior to OAI, Dr. Sankovic was a member of the Federal Senior Executive Service. He had a distinguished 31-year career at NASA, where he most recently served as Glenn Research Center Chief Technologist and Director of the Office of Technology Incubation and Innovation, setting a record for technology transfer and licensing.
He has received numerous awards, including the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, six Agency Honor Group Achievement Awards and an R&D100 technology innovation award. An industrious academic, Dr. Sankovic earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from The University of Akron, his MBA degree from Cleveland State University and his master’s and doctorate degrees in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University. He is a registered professional engineer in the State of Ohio with unique distinction by the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers for highest achievement on both licensure examinations. He holds three U.S. patents.
Inclined to share his knowledge and passion with future generations of innovators, Dr. Sankovic has taught numerous university courses over the past 15 years and authored or co-authored more than 70 technical publications on topics ranging from space propulsion and power to fluid mechanics and biomedical sciences.
Last modified April 25, 2022, 2:40pm EDT
