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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.
10:30AM–12:30PM EDT
Panel|Orchid
Session Chair: Anthony M. Calomino|Alternate Chair: Jonathan Cirtain
Vanda
Session Chair: Tabitha Dodson|Alternate Chair: Barry Miller
Calypso
Session Chair: Scott Wilson|Alternate Chair: Emily Jane Watkinson
1:30–3:30PM EDT
Session Chair: Harold Gerrish|Alternate Chair: Katey E. Lenox
Session Chair: Jeff George
Session Chair: Dayna Ise|Alternate Chair: Kelsa B. Palomares
4:00–6:00PM EDT
Session Chair: Donald Helton|Alternate Chair: Susannah Howieson
Session Chair: Todd Tofil|Alternate Chair: Sebastian Corbisiero
Session Chair: Scott Wilson|Alternate Chair: Lucas Rich
Session Chair: Susannah Howieson|Alternate Chair: Donald Helton
Session Chairs: Michelle Rucker, Laura Burke|Alternate Chair: Michael Chappell
Session Chair: Patrick McClure|Alternate Chair: Susan S. Voss
Session Chair: John Scott|Alternate Chair: Leonard Dudzinski
Session Chair: Ron Litchford|Alternate Chair: John Scott
Session Chair: Susan Voss|Alternate Chair: Patrick McClure
Session Chair: Leonard A. Dudzinski|Alternate Chair: Steven R. Oleson
Session Chair: Lucas Rich|Alternate Chair: Scott Wilson
Session Chair: Michael B. Smith|Alternate Chair: Lee S. Mason
Session Chair: Emily Jane Watkinson|Alternate Chair: Scott Wilson
Session Chair: Katey E. Lenox|Alternate Chair: Harold Gerrish
Session Chair: Lee S. Mason|Alternate Chairs: Michael B. Smith, Mike Houts
Orchid
Session Chair: Sebastian Corbisiero|Alternate Chair: Todd Tofil
Session Chair: Austen D. Fradeneck|Alternate Chair: Michael B. Smith
Session Chair: Michael LaPointe|Alternate Chair: Ronald Turner
Session Chair: Kelsa B. Palomares|Alternate Chair: Dayna Ise
10:00AM–12:00PM EDT
Session Chair: Wes Fuhrman|Alternate Chair: Paul Ostdiek
Session Chair: Jean-Pierre Fleurial|Alternate Chairs: Bill Otting, Leo Gard, Chad Barklay
