PALO VERDE
OperatingNuclear power plant
- Capacity
- 4,209 MW
- Primary fuel
- Nuclear
- County
- Maricopa County
- Operator
- ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE CO
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1986
- EIA plant ID
- 6008
- Coordinates
- 33.3881, -112.8617
PALO VERDE, a 4,209 MW Nuclear power plant in Maricopa County, Arizona. Operated by ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE CO, commissioned 1986.
Weather peril exposure
PALO VERDE is a 4,209 MW nuclear power plant in Maricopa County, AZ, operated by ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE CO, commissioned in 1986. Maricopa County carries elevated modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.7 of 5 at the 42nd national percentile. Wildfire is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 85th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a nuclear plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Maricopa County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 85th | 4.4 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Riverine flooding | Very High | 85th | 4.4 of 5 | 8.5 |
| Heat wave | Very High | 71st | 3.9 of 5 | 19.8 |
| Hail | Very High | 56th | 3.2 of 5 | 0.28 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 49th | 3.0 of 5 | 0.01 |
| Strong wind | Very High | 19th | 1.8 of 5 | 1.4 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 7th | 1.3 of 5 | 0.57 |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 3rd | 1.1 of 5 | 32.3 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 1st | 1.1 of 5 | 0.57 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 0th | 1.0 of 5 | 0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Maricopa County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
| Ice storm | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Maricopa County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.