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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.
Technical Session|Panel|Speaker Presentation
Friday, April 17, 2026|10:45–11:45AM CDT|MSC 2405
Session Chair:
Brendan Kelly
Alternate Chair:
Vincent Su
Session Organizer:
Axel Batres (TAMU)
From 1945 to 1963, global superpowers conducted over 500 atmospheric nuclear tests, releasing widespread radioactive fallout into the environment. These tests exposed nearby communities, military personnel, and even distant populations to harmful radiation. The 1963 Limited Test Ban Treaty curtailed above ground testing, but the long term health impacts persist. Radioactive isotopes from fallout have been linked to increased rates of cancer, particularly thyroid cancer and leukemia, among affected populations, including the “Downwinders” living near US test sites.
Steven Simon
National Cancer Institute
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