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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.
To add or remove a session from your itinerary, please check the circle to the left of its title.
Lincoln West|Session Chair: Thomas Hanlon
Tuesday, November 14, 2023|8:00–9:45AM EST
Monroe|Session Chair: John Mattingly
Lincoln East|Session Chair: Shikha Prasad
Monroe|Session Chair: Nathan Ryan
Tuesday, November 14, 2023|10:00–11:45AM EST
Lincoln West|Session Chair: Ben Cipiti
Lincoln East|Session Chair: Nathan Shoman
Panel|Lincoln West|Session Chairs: Logan Scott, Adam Williams
Tuesday, November 14, 2023|1:00–2:45PM EST
Panel|Lincoln West|Session Chair: Virginia Kerr
Tuesday, November 14, 2023|3:15–5:00PM EST
Lincoln West|Session Chair: Tina Hernandez
Wednesday, November 15, 2023|8:00–9:45AM EST
Lincoln East|Session Chair: Lu Makinde
Monroe|Session Chair: James Morman
Lincoln West|Session Chair: Patrick Moosir
Wednesday, November 15, 2023|10:00–11:45AM EST
Monroe|Session Chair: Jeremy Whitlock
Lincoln East|Session Chair: Steve Skutnik
Lincoln East|Session Chair: Claudio Gariazzo
Wednesday, November 15, 2023|1:00–2:45PM EST
Panel|Lincoln West|Session Chair: Michael Miller
Monroe|Session Chair: Andrew Griffith
Wednesday, November 15, 2023|3:15–5:00PM EST
Lincoln East|Session Chair: Jason Harris
Panel|Lincoln West|Session Chair: Emma Houston
