PHOENIX and TUCSON – Arizona Public Service (APS), Salt River Project (SRP) and Tucson Electric Power (TEP) announced today they’ll be working together to explore adding nuclear generation in Arizona.

The utilities have been monitoring emerging nuclear technologies and have a shared interest in evaluating their potential to support growing energy needs in the state. APS is leading the effort in collaboration with SRP and TEP to assess a wide range of possible locations, including at the sites of retiring coal plants. Nuclear energy is and will continue to be a valuable part of a diverse energy mix, providing reliable and clean energy 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“Energy demand in Arizona is increasing rapidly,” said Ted Geisler, APS President. “To ensure a reliable and affordable electric supply for our customers, we are committed to maintaining a diverse energy mix. While new nuclear generation would take more than a decade to develop, the planning and exploration of options must begin now. We are partnering with neighboring utilities to assess the feasibility of new nuclear generation, alongside other resources, to meet the state’s growing energy needs.”

“SRP is exploring all options to meet the growing energy needs of the Phoenix metropolitan area affordably, reliably and sustainably,” said Jim Pratt, SRP General Manager and CEO. “We appreciate the collaboration with our neighboring utilities to help determine the role new nuclear generation could play in powering Arizona’s future.”

“New nuclear generation could provide Arizona with reliable, around-the-clock carbon-free energy to power economic growth while helping us make progress toward a clean energy future,” said Susan Gray, TEP President and CEO. “We know the development timeline would be long, so it makes sense for our state’s energy providers to begin this preliminary evaluation as soon as possible.”

Siting work for additional nuclear would consider small modular reactors (SMRs) and potential large reactor projects. SMRs, which are smaller than traditional nuclear power reactors, generate 300 megawatts (MW) or less of energy per unit. For comparison, each unit at Palo Verde Generating Station, located west of Phoenix, is able to generate 1,400 MW. One megawatt of electricity is enough to power about 160 Arizona homes.

The utilities have applied for a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to begin preliminary exploration of a potential site for additional nuclear energy for Arizona. The application has been submitted under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations & Office of Nuclear Energy’s Generation III+ Small Modular Reactor program. If approved, the grant would support a three-year site selection process and possible preparation of an early site permit application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The grant application is an initial step in a larger collaborative effort by the utilities to explore the possibility of adding reliable, efficient and clean nuclear energy in the state. This joint effort could see the selection of a preferred nuclear site in the late 2020s, at the earliest, potentially enabling additional nuclear to be in operation in the early 2040s. The three Arizona utilities will continue their collaboration on charting a path to meet Arizonans’ energy needs into the future. 

Arizona Public Service: APS serves about 1.4 million homes and businesses in 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties, and is a leader in delivering reliable, affordable and clean energy in the Southwest. The company is committed to serving customers with 100% clean power by 2050. As owner and operator of Palo Verde Generating Station, one of the nation’s largest producers of carbon-free electricity, and with one of the country’s most substantial renewable energy portfolios, APS’s current energy mix is about 54% clean.

Salt River Project: SRP is a community-based, not-for-profit public power utility and the largest provider of electricity in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, serving more than 1 million customers. SRP is also the metropolitan area’s largest supplier of water, delivering about 800,000 acre-feet annually to municipal, urban and agricultural water users. SRP employees are available 24/7/365 for any customer needs or concerns. Simply call 602-236-8888 or visit srpnet.com/heretohelpand srpnet.com.

Tucson Electric Power : TEP serves more than 450,000 electric customers in Southern Arizona. TEP and its Tucson, Arizona-based parent company, UNS Energy Corporation, are subsidiaries of Fortis Inc., a leader in the North American regulated electric and gas utility industry.

Media Contacts:

APS: Michael Philipsen, michael.philipsen@aps.com, 480-647-7762
SRP: Jennifer Schuricht, jennifer.schuricht@srpnet.com, 480-625-5070 
TEP: Joe Barrios, jbarrios@tep.com, 520-884-3725