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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.
Technical Session|Sponsored by ETWDD
Tuesday, November 11, 2025|10:15AM–12:00PM EST|Gunston East/West
Session Chair:
Kyle C. Hartig (Univ. Florida)
Alternate Chair:
James Baciak (Univ. Florida)
Session Organizer:
Kyle C. Hartig
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U.S. Nuclear Fuel Cycle Workforce Data Collection to support Future Demand Modeling
10:15–10:35AM EST
Sergio García Mejía (Univ. Maryland, College Park), Meredith H. Walsh (Univ. Maryland, College Park), Saman Marandi (Univ. Maryland), Mohammad Modarres (Univ. Maryland), Michelle T. Bensi (Univ. Maryland)
Paper
Digital Twin Development for the VR-1 Training Reactor for Education, Training, and Workforce Development
10:35–10:55AM EST
Soha Aslam (Univ. Texas, Austin), Ondrej Chvala (Univ. Tennessee, Knoxville), Alexander Macris (Univ. Texas, Austin), Kevin T. Clarno (Univ. Texas, Austin)
Youth-Centered Nuclear Futures: Participatory Design as a Tool for Engagement and Equity
10:55–11:15AM EST
Aisha Jagne (Univ. Michigan), Andy Pham (Univ. Michigan), Katie Snyder (Univ. Michigan), Diana Cambero Inda (Univ. Michigan), Aditi Verma (Univ. Michigan)
"NuJobs": Identification and Assessment of Future Job Titles in the Nuclear Energy Field
11:15–11:35AM EST
Sola Talabi (Pittsburgh Technical LLC), Lee Huffman (Pittsburgh Technical), Michelle Goodson (Oakridge Associated Universities), Lori Brady (Nuclear Energy Institute), Sue Magidson (Vanderbilt Univ.)
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