Highlights
- Arizona Public Service, Salt River Project and Tucson Electric Power have begun a preliminary siting study to identify locations for new nuclear generation.
- The study is expected to complete within six months, after which the utilities will decide whether to pursue an Early Site Permit application with the NRC.
- All three utilities set peak-demand records in 2025, and former coal sites are among the locations under evaluation.
- The trio did not receive a DOE grant they applied for in early 2025 and will seek alternative funding sources.
Arizona Public Service, Salt River Project and Tucson Electric Power have launched a preliminary siting study to identify locations across Arizona for potential new nuclear generation, the utilities announced Friday, a capital-intensive planning step that could reshape the state's long-term energy infrastructure and the grid costs that flow to every commercial ratepayer.
The three utilities are using a phased screening methodology to narrow a statewide field of candidate sites to a short list, then to a preferred site. Former coal-fired generation sites are among the locations under review. Community meetings near potential sites are planned for late 2026. The study is expected to wrap within six months.
Once the study concludes, APS, SRP and TEP will evaluate technical, financial and other factors before deciding whether to file an Early Site Permit application with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. No final decision to build has been made, and no nuclear technology has been selected. Both small modular reactors and larger reactor designs remain under review.
The effort comes after all three utilities set peak-demand records in 2025, driven by population growth and economic expansion. The utilities cited the need for long-term reliable generation as the rationale for beginning site work now, given the extended timelines nuclear projects require.
The utilities applied for a U.S. Department of Energy grant in early 2025 to support the work but were recently notified they did not receive the award. They said they will continue to pursue future funding opportunities to offset evaluation costs.
The Arizona Corporation Commission hosted a workshop on advancing nuclear power generation on June 25, 2026, convened by Commission Chairman Nick Myers and Commissioner René Lopez, bringing together energy providers, policymakers and industry stakeholders.
The preferred-site selection will follow completion of the six-month study, with any ESP application decision to come after that.
Sources
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- aztechcouncil.org retrieved 26/06/2026 17:38
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 26/06/2026 17:38. Every claim traces to a source.
