Energy Northwest proudly served as the host sponsor of the 2026 U.S. Women in Nuclear (WIN) conference Aug. 3-5 in Seattle, Washington. The event welcomed over a thousand nuclear professionals and became the largest U.S. WIN conference ever, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), which organizes the annual event.
Energy Northwest’s WIN chapter played a major role in the success of the event – supporting conference planning, organizing tours, leading daily fitness activities, preparing welcome bags, mentoring students, and hosting an exhibitor booth.
Energy Northwest CEO Bob Schuetz opened the conference with an overview of Washington state’s long-standing relationship with nuclear energy. The opening plenary, Scaling the Future: The Strategic Partnership Behind the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility, offered attendees a behind-the-scenes look at the effort to construct a small modular reactor (SMR) in Richland. Schuetz was joined on stage by X-energy’s Carol Tansley, vice president of Projects; Mark Arnone, vice president of New Nuclear Projects at AECON, and a member of the Cascade Nuclear Partners design-build team; and Brandon Oyer, head of Energy and Water for the Americas at Amazon. Ellen Ginsberg, senior vice president and general counsel at NEI, moderated the panel.
Conference sessions throughout the week explored professional development, working with tribal nations, artificial intelligence, and the future of nuclear operations.
On the final day, Energy Northwest hosted tours of regional companies, including the Wild Horse Wind & Solar Facility, Helion Energy, Boeing, and Amazon’s robotics facility.
U.S. Women in Nuclear is a national organization of individuals working in nuclear energy and technology fields. Its annual conference provides opportunities for members to build camaraderie, network, and strengthen professional development.
