PNNL

As the nation’s nuclear renaissance unfolds, Mark Nutt, Director of Nuclear Energy Programs at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, chaired a task force to help guide nuclear energy development in Iowa. Governor Kim Reynolds established the task force earlier this year with the aim to gauge Iowa’s readiness for advancing nuclear power within its energy portfolio. 

Published September 3, the report finds that Iowa is in a strong position to participate in the nation’s burgeoning nuclear enterprise. The state has a strong manufacturing base, a skilled workforce, and a history of adopting new energy technologies. The report outlines several recommendations, including incentives to encourage Iowa manufacturers to enter or expand their presence in the nuclear industry and options for coordinating with the federal government.

The Iowa Nuclear Energy Task Force included 11 representatives from utilities, local government, academia, labor, and other sectors. Nutt, an Iowa native and graduate of Iowa State University’s nuclear engineering program, welcomed the opportunity to serve as chair.

“It’s been great to sit down with Iowa’s stakeholders and consider how nuclear energy might serve the state’s broader energy portfolio,” said Nutt. “It’s an exciting time to be in the world of nuclear, and we welcome similar opportunities to help guide nuclear development in other states. We’re drawing upon PNNL’s history of supporting the country’s nuclear energy programs today so we can enjoy a more resilient energy system tomorrow.”

For decades, PNNL scientists and engineers have worked closely with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy to keep the nuclear fleet operating safely and to accelerate the deployment of advanced reactors. In addition to leveraging its materials science, radiation chemistry, and other capabilities, PNNL is partnering through the DOE Genesis program on using artificial intelligence to modernize the nation’s nuclear power plants and develop used nuclear fuel recycling technologies.

Iowa currently has no operating nuclear power plants. The state’s former nuclear plant, the Duane Arnold Energy Center, is undergoing regulatory review, with plans to restart by 2029. Nuclear power plants in neighboring Illinois and Nebraska provide some electricity to Iowa, which also relies on wind, coal, natural gas, solar, and hydroelectric power.

Read more about the Iowa Nuclear Energy Task Force here.