Arizona plant continues power production legacy

The Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Western Arizona produced 32.3 million megawatt-hours (MWh) of power in 2014, making it the nation's largest nuclear power producer for the 23rd consecutive year, the Arizona Power Service (APS) said on Monday. 

It was also the 10th time that the APS-operated station broke its own record for power generation.  Its previous record was 31.9 million MWh set in 2012.

Palo Verde began operating  in 1986 and has since produced more than 750 million MWh, providing environmentally friendly energy to more than 4 million people. The station is the only generating facility in the U.S. to produce more than 30 million MWh in a year. Its Unit 3 reactor produced the second-highest electricity output of any nuclear unit in the world last year.

“The almost 3,000 employees who work at Palo Verde come to work every day with the same goal: to safely and efficiently generate clean energy for the Southwest and do it for the long-term,” APS Executive Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer Randy Edington said. “We take pride in regularly generating more electricity than any other power plant in the country, ensuring that people across Arizona and the Southwest can continue to enjoy reliable, low-cost electricity.”

The Palo Verde plant is a critical asset to Arizona’s economy, contributing an annual economic impact of more than $1.8 billion through taxes, salaries, and purchases of materials and services.