In June and July of 2026, NACo co-hosted a Rural Energy Academy peer exchange with Grundy County, Illinois. Home to the Dresden Generating Station, one of the nation's earliest privately financed nuclear power plants, Grundy County offered a fitting setting for a program focused on nuclear energy and battery energy storage systems (BESS). This immersive two-and-a-half-day event blended peer learning, expert insights from Argonne National Laboratory and a tour of an operating nuclear facility. Key themes explored:

Battery energy storage system (BESS) science and safety
Nuclear energy and small modular reactors
Economic development and community benefits
Strategies to maximize county authority
State and federal energy policy