Palo Verde
Palo Verde is a nuclear plant in Maricopa County, Arizona, operated by Arizona Public Service Co. By nameplate capacity it is the fourth-largest power plant in the United States and the largest in Arizona. Among the 56 nuclear plants in the country it is the second-largest. Within the Salt River Project balancing area it is the largest of 44 plants.
Nameplate capacity, 2025
4,210 MW
3,937 MW net summer capacity
3 operable units
- Nuclear4,210 MW100%
Unit by unit, 1986 to 2025
operating in 2025bar height follows unit size
Unit 1 Nuclear, 1,403 MW, 1986
Unit 2 Nuclear, 1,403 MW, 1986
Unit 3 Nuclear, 1,403 MW, 1988
Among Arizona’s plants
Largest plants in the state by nameplate capacity, with the plants ranked next to this one.
- 1Palo Verdethis plant
- 2Springerville1,779 MW
- 3Santan1,326 MW
Other rankings
- Plants run by Arizona Public Service Co
- 1st of 21
- Biggest single unit, among Arizona’s plants
- 1st of 191
Operable units
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | Summer | Online | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nuclear | 1,403 MW | 1,311 MW | 1986 | Operating |
| 2 | Nuclear | 1,403 MW | 1,314 MW | 1986 | Operating |
| 3 | Nuclear | 1,403 MW | 1,312 MW | 1988 | Operating |
Who owns it
Shares are weighted by the nameplate capacity of each unit an owner holds.
| Owner | Share of capacity |
|---|---|
| Arizona Public Service Co | 29.1% |
| Salt River Project | 17.5% |
| El Paso Electric Co | 15.8% |
| Southern California Edison Co | 15.8% |
| Public Service Co of NM | 10.2% |
| Southern California P P A | 5.9% |
| Los Angeles Department of Water & Power | 5.7% |
Grid and site
- Balancing area
- Salt River Project
- Reliability region
- Western Electricity Coordinating Council
- Highest grid connection voltage
- 500 kV
- Water source
- Phoenix Area Sewage Effluent
- Nearest town on record
- Wintersburg
- Operator type
- Utility
- Coordinates
- 33.388°N, 112.862°W
Closest plants
| Plant | Runs on | Capacity | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mesquite Generating Station Block 2 | Natural gas | 692 MW | 3.0 mi south |
| Mesquite Generating Station Block 1 | Natural gas | 692 MW | 3.0 mi south |
| Sun Streams, LLC | Solar | 160 MW | 3.1 mi southeast |
| Arlington Valley Energy Facility | Natural gas | 713 MW | 3.6 mi southwest |
| Red Hawk | Natural gas | 1,127 MW | 3.9 mi south |
| Mesquite Solar 1 | Solar | 170 MW | 4.0 mi southwest |
| Agave | Solar | 150 MW | 4.6 mi south |
| Mesquite Solar 2, LLC | Solar | 100 MW | 4.8 mi southwest |