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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|Sponsored by NCSD
Tuesday, November 17, 2020|12:00–2:10PM EST
Session Chair:
Kermit A. Bunde
Alternate Chair:
Kristan M. Wessels (Y12 National Security Complex)
Session Organizer:
Staff Producer:
Mich Leana (American Nuclear Society)
Metrics on Nuclear Criticality Safety Programs can be used to monitor and manage performance as well as identify and correct negative trends. Leading indicators (precursors to more significant issues) can be difficult to define and monitor with relation to nuclear criticality safety. Additionally, a feedback and improvement mechanisms should be in place to correct any negative performance or trends identified by metrics. This panel is for facilities to share the metrics used to demonstrate programmatic health, which leading indicators are being monitored for trends, and the improvement mechanisms used when negative trends are identified.
Kristan Wessels
Y12 National Security Complex
Kevin Hahn
NNSA
James Kurtpatwinski
LANL
Christopher Long
INL
Lon â
GE Wilmington
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