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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
June 2026
Nuclear Technology
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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.
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Kairos Power is a mission-driven company singularly-focused on enabling the world’s transition to clean energy through the commercial deployment of its fluoride-salt cooled, high-temperature reactor. Kairos Power is leveraging proven technologies and an iterative development and demonstration approach, while actively engaging utility stakeholders to deliver its cost-effective reactor design.
Kairos Power employees will be featured as key speakers in several sessions during the ANS Winter Conference. Visit the sessions below to learn more about which ones Kairos Power employees will participate in.
Advances in Design Through Advanced Reactor Development Program
Technical Session|Panel
Abdalla Abou-Jaoude (INL), Massimiliano Fratoni, Gregory M. Core (INL)
Panelists: James Vollmer (Terrapower - Natrium), Eben Mulder (X-energy), Per Peterson (Kairos Power), Josh Walter (Terrapower - MCRE)
2021 ANS Winter Meeting and Technology Expo
RPD
Friday, December 3, 2021|5:00–6:45AM (8:00–9:45AM EST)
SESSION
CEO Perspectives on Innovation in Nuclear Licensing: a game-changer to tackle climate change
Executive Session|Panel
Nuclear Innovation Alliance, Judi Greenwald (Nuclear Innovation Alliance)
Panelists: Simon Irish (Terrestrial Energy), Mike Laufer (Kairos Power), Jake DeWitte (Oklo), Harlan Bowers (X-energy)
Executive Track
Thursday, December 2, 2021|10:00–11:45AM (1:00–2:45PM EST)
Thermal Hydraulics Issues in Licensing of Advanced Reactors
Stephen M. Bajorek, Elia Merzari
Panelists: Stephen M. Bajorek (U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission), Brandon P. Haugh (Kairos Power LLC), John C. Luxat (McMaster University), Robert P. Martin (BWXT), Chul-Hwa Song (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute), Chris Lohse (INL)
THD
Friday, December 3, 2021|7:00–8:45AM (10:00–11:45AM EST)
Additional Resources and papers that feature Kairos Power employees:
PAPER
LSTM Validation of Fiber Optics Distributed Temperature Sensing
Stella Pantopoulou (ANL), Darius Lisowski (ANL), Anthonie Cilliers (Kairos Power), Alexander Heifetz (ANL)
HFICD|Implications of ML and AI for I&C/HFE
Wednesday, December 1, 2021|1:20–2:45PM (4:20–5:45PM EST)
Advanced Nuclear Industry Prepared for Future Licensing and Deployment
Cyril W. Draffin (US Nuclear Industry Council), Jeffery S. Merrifield (Pillsbury), Peter Hastings (Kairos Power)
OPD|Advanced Nuclear Reactors and Power Systems - III
