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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.
VIEW RECIPIENTSSUBMIT NOMINATION
Nomination Deadline
April 1
Presented at the
Winter Conference
The Eugene P. Wigner Award recognizes an individual that has made outstanding contributions toward the advancement in the field of nuclear reactor physics.
Nominations can be made by any member of ANS. Nominees need not be ANS members.
The award consists of an engraved plaque and is presented at a division function at the ANS Winter Conference.
The award was established by the Reactor Physics Division (RPD) in 1990. The award is named after the late Eugene P. Wigner, a pioneer who helped nurture the nuclear age to technical maturity.
The principal sponsor has the responsibility of (a) securing the required letters of recommendation from the other two co-sponsors, (b) assembling the nomination package and (c) submitting it to ANS along with his or her own recommendation of the nominee by the deadline indicated in the call for nominations announcement.
Nominations must include the completed nomination form accompanied by the following supporting documents:
The nomination should include evidence of the candidate's contribution in the form of written recommendations from the sponsors and others as appropriate, specifying the candidate's outstanding accomplishments and contributions that have benefited the field of nuclear reactor physics to the degree meriting consideration for the Eugene P. Wigner Reactor Physicist Award.
The selection of the Eugene P. Wigner Reactor Physicist Award is determined by critical review and assessment of submitted credentials and qualifications; hence, due care should be exercised in the preparation of the nomination package. In the process of review and selection, emphasis is placed on excellence of achievement in the field of nuclear reactor physics as evidenced by (a) outstanding original research, documented in referenced scientific journals or major publications, and by (b) outstanding leadership in reactor physics. The ANS Honors and Awards Committee is available for consultation and review as appropriate.
View Award