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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.
December 9, 2020|12:00–1:00PM (1:00–2:00PM EST)
ANS Members Only
ANS Members, please log in to watch this webinar.
Participate in this free members-only webinar and explore the results of recent messaging research and polling that Maslansky + Partners, a firm focused on behavioral science, linguistics, and strategic thinking, conducted for the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI). You’ll learn about tested approaches for associating nuclear energy with other carbon-free technologies and amplifying nuclear’s numerous benefits, which will include specific language to use. There will also be an opportunity for Q&A following the presentation.
PresenterNeal Cohen, NEI Senior Vice President of External Affairs
Cohen is responsible for managing the Institute’s communications, government affairs, public policy and public affairs groups. In this capacity, Cohen focuses on integrating and executing NEI’s lobbying, third party outreach, coalition building, policy development and strategic communications efforts. He also serves as President of Nuclear Matters, NEI’s grassroots coalition with over 550,000 followers. Previously, Cohen had a 30-plus year career at APCO Worldwide, a global strategic communications firm, where he served as vice-chair of APCO’s Board of Directors, President of Global Client Strategies, and Chief Operating Officer.
ModeratorMary Lou Dunzik-Gougar, ANS President
Dr. Dunzik-Gougar is Associate Dean of the College of Science and Engineering at Idaho State University. Her nuclear career spans 25 years, during which time she has performed research in various aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle, including waste form development, spent fuel pyroprocessing, spent particle fuel qualification for disposal, fuel and material development and characterization (pre- and post-irradiation), development of a waste minimization plan for a next generation nuclear reactor design, and fuel cycle modeling.
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