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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.
ANS Young Members Group Spotlight on National Labs
May 20, 2020|11:00AM–12:30PM (12:00–1:30PM EDT)
Available to All Users
Learn about NREL's history and how the lab is leading the way in advancing clean energy technologies and their integration into the global energy system, including evaluation of multi-technology, multi-sectoral solutions with nuclear energy. NREL applies its expertise worldwide to scale up use of advanced renewable energy technologies for the power, transport, buildings, and industrial sectors and optimize overall energy system performance. They have extensive experience in adapting and applying energy solutions for countries and all regions throughout the world. Hear about the clean energy jobs of the future, energy transformations, and opportunities to engage internationally across various technologies and with multiple stakeholders.
From its start in 1977 to today, NREL has pushed the boundaries of what's possible. For over 40 years, NREL has expanded American prosperity and security through world-class research. NREL is the federal laboratory dedicated to research, development, commercialization, and deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. NREL focuses on creative answers to today's energy challenges. From breakthroughs in fundamental science to new clean technologies to integrated energy systems that power our lives, NREL researchers are transforming the way the nation and the world use energy.
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