1st largest plant in Arizona · 3rd nationally
Palo Verde is a nuclear power plant in Arizona with a nameplate capacity of 4,210 MW. It generates roughly 31.5M MWh per year — enough to power about 3,002,151 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 85% means it runs nearly around-the-clock as baseload generation.
| Plant Name | Palo Verde |
|---|---|
| Operator | Arizona Public Service Co |
| City | Wintersburg |
| County | Maricopa County |
| State | Arizona |
| ZIP | 85036 |
| Coordinates | 33.38810, -112.86170 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nuclear | Uranium | 1,403 MW | Operating | 1986 |
| 2 | Nuclear | Uranium | 1,403 MW | Operating | 1986 |
| 3 | Nuclear | Uranium | 1,403 MW | Operating | 1988 |
| Owner | Location | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Public Service Co | Phoenix, AZ | 2910.0% |
| Salt River Project | Phoenix, AZ | 1749.0% |
| El Paso Electric Co | El Paso, TX | 1580.0% |
| Southern California Edison Co | Rosemead, CA | 1580.0% |
| Public Service Co Of Nm | Albuquerque, NM | 1020.0% |
| Southern California P P A | Glendora, CA | 591.0% |
| Los Angeles Department Of Water & Power | Los Angeles, CA | 570.0% |
Ownership reported to EIA Form 860. Percentages reflect reported generator-level ownership share, averaged when a plant has multiple generators.
| NERC Region | WECC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Salt River Project |
Nuclear plants generate carbon-free baseload electricity by fissioning uranium fuel inside a reactor. They run nearly around-the-clock — typical capacity factors above 90% — and a single facility can power millions of homes. Spent fuel is stored on-site in dry casks. NRC oversees safety; emergency planning zones extend 10 miles from the reactor.