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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.
Executive Session|Panel
Tuesday, November 15, 2022|1:00–2:45PM MST|Eucalyptus
Session Chairs:
Christina J. Leggett, Ph.D. (Booz Allen Hamilton)
Morris Hassler (IB3 Global Solutions, llc.)
Session Organizers:
Most advanced reactor designers plan to use high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel, including the two reactors selected by DOE’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. Moreover, some utilities seek to use slightly higher enrichments in existing light-water reactors. However, there is an insufficient supply of HALEU to supply demonstration reactor needs, no domestic HALEU enrichment capability, and significant uncertainty surrounding long-term HALEU demands. To address these challenges, DOE has been down blending high-enriched uranium and has solicited input on a HALEU Availability Program. In addition, several enrichment companies have established HALEU programs. At this panel, panelists from the enrichment industry and government discuss the status and next steps for establishing a domestic HALEU fuel supply chain. Establishing domestic HALEU production capability will enable the US to expand its position in the global nuclear energy market while promoting its own nonproliferation agenda.
Ben Jordan
Centrus
Magnus Mori
URENCO
Andy Griffith
Retired DOE
Everett Redmond
Oklo, Inc.
Stephen Long
Global Laser Enrichment
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