The Arizona State Capitol Ellen O’Brien/Cronkite News
“Data centers are driving innovation in the energy space so its only natural that they would be looking to utilize nuclear energy to meet their power needs. Arizona is facing unprecedented energy shortages and this legislation is a common sense solution to make it easier for large energy users to develop their own generation which will free up resources for other energy users and customers in Arizona. It’s a win-win for Arizona.”
-Court Rich, Rose Law Group co-founder and director of the firm’s renewable energy & utility infrastructure department
By Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror
A Republican measure that would waive certain state regulations to allow large industrial energy users like data centers to build small nuclear reactors in rural Arizona cleared its first hurdle this week.
House Majority Leader Michael Carbone told the House Natural Resources Committee on Feb. 18 that his legislation is about removing state regulation and is about beating foreign adversaries who are doing similar things. Multiple other countries have begun to pursue the technology including allies and adversaries to the United States.
House Bill 2774 would do that by letting a “large industrial energy user” place a “small modular nuclear reactor” in their facility without having to get a certificate of environmental compatibility. They would also be exempt from local zoning restrictions if the facility is in a county with a population of less than 500,000. Every county in the state except Maricopa and Pima have a population less than 500,000.
