nuclear power
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On June 18, the Cedar Rapids Gazette reported the Iowa nuclear task force wrapped up its work, saying, “Task force members reiterated the importance of community education on the topic, noting that residents and lawmakers often have misperceptions about nuclear energy.” But what if community members are already well informed and still do not want… Read more
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Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds created a 14-member nuclear energy task force in January by executive order. They finished their initial work this week and now its recommendations will go to the governor, state lawmakers, and state agencies. In her Jan. 5, 2026 press release, Reynolds said, “With our strong foundation in manufacturing and energy innovation,… Read more
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A joke is circulating on the internet that SMR stands for Spending Money Recklessly. It isn’t funny because it is true, even if big money investors have a plan to recoup their investment in Small Modular Reactors with interest. Regular folks like me don’t want new nuclear power when renewable projects that include solar and… Read more
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If Iowa is a net exporter of electricity, why the push for new nuclear reactors? I get it. Duane Arnold Energy Center has infrastructure to add/renew generating capacity: connections to the electrical grid, access to water for cooling, and transportation in and out. Compared to the new Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia, re-starting DAEC… Read more
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On July 1, Interstate Power and Light Company, the parent company of Alliant Energy, filed an application to add 1,000 megawatts of wind energy “to help boost Iowa’s electric grid and further diversify its energy portfolio,” Olivia Cohen wrote in the Cedar Rapids Gazette. The timing of the filing takes advantage of tax credits included… Read more
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January and February are the best months to hunker down and write. I get outside almost every day to take a brisk walk along the state park trail. Some mornings the landscape looks like this. Then it’s back indoors and to work. Today we’ll experience ambient temperatures in the 40s. I decided to run the… Read more
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“While my skepticism of the governor is substantial. These are things that merit consideration by the government we have.” Read more
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Editor’s note: This is a letter to the editor of the Solon Economist in response to Caden Bell’s opinion saying the Duane Arnold Energy Center nuclear power plant should be reopened. I don’t understand the logic of reopening the Duane Arnold Energy Center because life is like a cartoon called The Simpsons. I’ve never seen… Read more
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There’s a lot of chatter about the energy demands of artificial intelligence. As Iowa looks at inviting new data centers into the state, the usual suspects are dragging out the same old sawhorses to devise worn out solutions to meet this demand. One of the ideas floated was re-opening the Duane Arnold Energy Center near… Read more
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Little has changed to make nuclear power a safe and affordable option to produce electricity. That didn’t stop Iowa Republican members of congress, all four of them, from voting for H.R. 6544, the Atomic Advancement Act of 2023. They were not alone, the bill passed on Feb. 29, 2024 (365-36-1). It awaits action in the… Read more
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