By Reagan Priest | Arizona Capitol Times
The state’s three largest electric utilities are moving forward with a joint venture to bring new nuclear generation to Arizona despite being rejected for a federal grant supporting the project.
Arizona Public Service, Salt River Project and Tucson Electric Power announced Wednesday they have begun a six-month siting study to narrow down potential locations for a new nuclear power plant. But they did not receive a U.S. Department of Energy grant they jointly applied for to help finance an early site permit application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The utilities “will continue to work together to explore future funding opportunities to help mitigate the costs of evaluating potential new nuclear generation,” according to a joint statement.
If all goes according to plan, the companies expect to hold community stakeholder meetings in late 2026 near potential nuclear sites, including decommissioned coal-fired power plants. The companies will then “evaluate technical, financial and other factors” to determine whether to submit an early site permit application to the federal government.
At this point, the companies say a new nuclear plant is not a foregone conclusion, and they have not decided whether the potential project would use small modular reactors or large reactors like those at Arizona’s Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station.
