PHOENIX — Arizona’s three major utilities want to amp up nuclear power in Arizona to meet a growing demand for electricity.
But first, they need to convince people who may be sour on the idea.
So, how to sweeten the idea of building more nuclear reactors?
“Has anyone ever had a little gummy bear? Gummy bears?" asked Arizona Rep. Pamela Carter, R-Scottsdale, during a House committee meeting earlier this year. She was introducing a resolution, HCR 2022, in support of nuclear energy.
She waved a packet of the familiar candy. Then she used the gummy bears to explain the fuel behind nuclear energy.
"One of these little pellets, the size of a gummy bear - it equals one ton of coal, 17,000 feet of natural gas or 149 gallons of oil,” she said. “Just one of these little, tiny pellets.”
But the gummy bears weren’t enough to impress one of her colleagues that day. She asked what was inside those “little energy pellets.”
“Is there any uranium in there?” asked Rep. Mae Peshlakai, D-Cameron.
“Yes,” Carter said.
Peshlakai represents the Navajo Nation, where uranium mining has a controversial history. The dust is linked to lung and bone cancer, according to the EPA. The mines can also contaminate water. There are more than 500 abandoned uranium mines on or near the Navajo Nation.
“You have abandoned mines, and they’ve never been cleaned up,” Peshlakai said.
Carter’s legislative resolution in support of nuclear energy, which is largely symbolic, came just as the state’s three largest utilities announced they are exploring whether to add more sources of nuclear power.
Led by Arizona Public Service (APS), the utilities announced earlier this year they applied for a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to identify a potential site for more nuclear energy. Salt River Project (SRP) and Tucson Electric Power are also part of that grant application.
ABC15 is committed to finding the answers you need and holding those accountable.
Submit your news tip to Investigators@abc15.com
“If approved, the grant would support a three-year site selection process and possible preparation of any early site permit application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,” the utilities wrote in a statement.
It could be years before something is built.
The statement reports a site could be selected “in the late 2020s, at the earliest, potentially enabling additional nuclear energy to be operational in the early 2040s.”
The utilities are considering “small modular reactors (SMRs) and potential large reactor projects.” SMRs generate up to 300 megawatts of energy per unit compared to the 1,400 megawatts per unit at Palo Verde. (One megawatt of electricity powers about 160 homes in Arizona.)
The first nuclear power reactors in the U.S. came online in the 1950s. In 1986, the first of three units at Palo Verde Generating Station began operating. Palo Verde is about an hour west of Phoenix.
“This is a very special year for us. Unit one is hitting its 40th birthday this year,” said John Hernandez, as he gestured toward a domed reactor during a recent tour.
Hernandez is vice president of site services at Palo Verde. Twice a year – in April and October – when one of the reactors is shut down for refueling, he helps lead tours.
Palo Verde is managed by APS and generates power that goes to portions of four states: Arizona, New Mexico, California and Texas.
"We're the anchor that really holds the western grid stable,” Hernandez said.
Until recently, Palo Verde was the largest nuclear power plant in the U.S. (The Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Georgia now holds that distinction after recently adding two more reactors).
A recent survey by the Pew Research Center found that while support for nuclear energy is growing, Americans are still more likely to favor expanding wind and solar power.
Supporters say nuclear power’s big selling point is that it’s reliable, able to produce power 24/7.
The possibility of more nuclear power is already drawing criticism.
The Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter does not support investing more money in nuclear power, said Sandy Bahr, the chapter director.
"This is waste that is dangerous for 10s of 1000s of years,” she said.
APS officials have said they get the uranium used at Palo Verde from overseas. On tours of the plant, APS officials point out that the spent fuel left over is safely secured in dry canisters. Over 60 years, those canisters will fit in an area about the size of a football field.
Bahr is also concerned about the vast amount of water nuclear power requires. Palo Verde uses recycled wastewater. But critics say in the desert, even that’s a valuable resource.
The Arizona Corporation Commission, which regulates many of the state’s major utilities, is also getting involved in the discussion. Commissioners have scheduled a workshop on May 21 on advancing nuclear power.
“We want to have them come and talk to us and the public about what their intentions are,” said Commissioner Rene Lopez. He has a degree in nuclear engineering.
"I want to say this the right way, without offending. A lot of people are ignorant about nuclear power, you know, and it's just because they just don't know. They don't understand,” he said.
Lopez said he’s eager for people to learn more.
"If the nuclear industry tries to stay in the black box and say that ‘it's magic,’ nobody's going to buy into it. We need to open up that box and make sure that they understand how it works."
Email ABC15 Investigator Anne Ryman at anne.ryman@abc15.com, call her at 602-685-6345, or connect on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Facebook.
