Energy Wonders of The World: Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station In Arizona

In 1973, plans were announced to construct the first large-scale nuclear generating plant in the world that wasn't located near a large body of surface water. Having gone into service in 1986, it's now celebrating it's 40 year anniversary.

This was a breakthrough, a major coup of aggressive engineering, since nuclear plants require massive amounts of water to safely remove heat from uranium fission, the splitting of atoms, that generates steam heat needed to spin turbines and ultimately create electricity.

The Circular Economy Before It Was A Thing: Reusing Sewage Water

To work around its landlocked location, lacking access to any river, lake, or ocean, the 3.9 GW plant was designed to be cooled by reclaimed water from the city of Phoenix. It pioneered the use of sewage water long before the "circular economy" was a common concept, recycling over 20 billion gallons of treated wastewater annually to cool its three reactors.

While the project isn't without challenges today; including rising water costs as the nuclear generator must compete with semiconductor plants and many other interests across Phoenix for the water, it has demonstrated how to think above and beyond what seems possible. And, the Palo Verde Station remained the largest nuclear plant in the U.S. through 2024, when a larger plant was put into service in Georgia.

Standing The Test Of Time: Continues To Influence Nuclear Development

Now, 40 years after, the "Palo Verde Model" remains a global example of how the seemingly impossible can be made possible. Its success has directly influenced arid regions proving that nuclear power can be decoupled from natural geography.

As we move further into 2026, others are embarking on similar workarounds, seeking to build nuclear generators that rely on dry-cooling (air) a path pioneered by Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) or desalinated ocean water to power a thirsty, electricity-driven world.