Duane Arnold Energy Center, Nuclear power plant in Linn County, Iowa
The Duane Arnold Energy Center is a decommissioned nuclear power plant located near Palo, Iowa, about 8 miles northwest of Cedar Rapids. The facility features a reactor building with wet containment, cooling towers, and support structures spread across a large site alongside the Cedar River.
Construction began in 1970 and the plant started operations in 1975, serving as Iowa's only nuclear power station for nearly 45 years. In 2020, a powerful derecho storm with strong winds and heavy rain caused damage to the cooling towers, leading to the plant's shutdown and eventual decommissioning, with all nuclear fuel safely removed by October 2020.
The site is bounded by security fencing and monitored by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Visitors should inquire locally about access, as entry may be limited depending on security status and ongoing inspections or review activities.
The plant used a boiling water reactor system where water boils directly inside the reactor to produce steam that drives turbines, a design different from other reactor types in use elsewhere. After shutdown, the facility is being held in a state called SAFSTOR, a long-term waiting mode where it remains safe while potential restart discussions continue with federal regulators.
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