PALO VERDE

How PALO VERDE compares

With 4,209 MW of capacity, PALO VERDE is the largest of the 71 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Arizona. It accounts for about 15% of all operating capacity in Arizona. Nationally it is the largest of the 55 operating Nuclear plants in the database. Commissioned in 1986, it is older than 69% of the 69 operating Arizona plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE CO, runs 17 operating plants in Arizona totaling 8,906 MW. It shares Maricopa County with 28 other operating plants, including SANTAN and HARQUAHALA GENERATING PROJECT.

EIA-860 lists 3 generators at the site with 4,210 MW of nameplate capacity, all nuclear technology. Net generation was 32,388 GWh in 2024 (an 88% capacity factor), up 1% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1986 and 1988.

Grid neighborhood

The nearest named substation is PALO VERDE (500 kV), about 0.3 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 500 kV line owned by ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY, about 0.3 miles away. Another 9 operating power plants totaling 4,891 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is HARQUAHALA GENERATING PROJECT (1,325 MW, Natural Gas). Within 50 miles are 2 mapped data centers; the nearest is Digital Realty PHX10 (120 E Van Buren) in Phoenix, about 45.8 miles away.

Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records, EIA-860/923 survey data and PeeringDB data center locations; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology