Arizona State Rep. Michael R. A. Carbone said on May 7 that nuclear energy is essential for meeting the state’s growing electricity needs. The statement was made as Arizona faces increased demand from population growth, manufacturing, technology, and data centers.
“Arizona cannot power its future on slogans, wishful thinking, or an electric grid that depends on the weather. Nuclear energy is clean, safe, reliable, and available around the clock. It is exactly the kind of serious energy policy Arizona needs to lower costs, strengthen our grid, and compete for the jobs and industries of the future. Arizona should lead on nuclear energy, and I will keep fighting to make sure our state has the power it needs to grow and prosper,” Carbone said in a release from the Arizona House GOP announcing he had been named the 2026 Nuclear State Champion by Nuclear Matters.
Arizona’s Palo Verde Generating Station, a nuclear power plant located near Tonopah, produces more than 32 million megawatt-hours of electricity annually for the Southwest. The plant employs about 2,000 full-time workers and has a $2.6 billion impact on local economies, according to APS.
Nuclear energy supplies approximately 20% of all electricity generated in the United States since 1990 and remains the single largest source of carbon-free power nationwide, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Carbone serves as state representative for Legislative District 25 in the Arizona House of Representatives, according to the state legislature. Carbone was elected in 2022, replacing Michelle Udall.
