麻豆传媒映画

After World War II, the American West was transformed by a spirit of innovation and ambition. Nowhere was that more evident than in Phoenix. Once a modest desert outpost, the city grew rapidly thanks to breakthroughs in air conditioning, abundant electric power, and the optimism of the Atomic Age.

In 1954, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Lewis Strauss captured that mood when he said, 鈥�Our children will enjoy in their homes electrical energy too cheap to meter.鈥� It was a time when America thought big and viewed nuclear power as a symbol of progress.

That confidence helped give rise to the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station. Built in the 1980s despite doubts that a nuclear plant could succeed in the desert without a nearby river, Palo Verde turned that challenge into a strength. By using reclaimed wastewater for cooling, Arizona engineers made it a triumph of innovation and, for decades, the largest power producer in the nation. It remains proof that Arizona can turn bold ideas into reality.

That same spirit helped bring semiconductor giants like Motorola and Intel to Arizona, helping earn our state the nickname 鈥淪ilicon Desert.鈥� Just as Palo Verde proved nuclear energy could thrive in the desert, those companies proved Arizona could become a center for world-class technology and innovation. In this state, advanced energy and advanced industry have long gone hand in hand.

Today, Arizona stands at the front edge of another wave of growth, driven by artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing, and the broader high-tech economy. Our business climate, competitive costs, and skilled workforce have made Arizona a magnet for investment. Companies such as TSMC, Amkor, ON Semiconductor, LG Energy Solution, Microchip Technology, ASM, and NXP have chosen Arizona as the place to invest billions in America鈥檚 future.

Their customers have followed. Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Meta, and other technology leaders need advanced chips to power massive digital infrastructure. Arizona is now one of the fastest-growing data center markets in the country. Companies including CyrusOne, QTS, Digital Realty, and Iron Mountain are expanding here, and Buckeye is planning the largest data center campus west of the Mississippi, a massive $20 billion data campus planned for up to 40 individual data centers and as much as 1.8 gigawatts of power demand.

As energy demand rises, 麻豆传媒映画ust be ready to meet it. That means leading in the next generation of nuclear reactors, including small modular reactors, molten salt reactors, and microreactors, which offer the promise of clean, reliable, abundant power across the economy. Designed to be factory-built and scalable, they can reduce construction times, lower costs, and be deployed where they are needed most. Even technologies first demonstrated decades ago, like molten salt reactors, are drawing renewed interest as the country looks for dependable power sources that can support long-term growth.

That momentum is growing nationwide. In the past year alone, lawmakers in 19 states introduced more than 50 bills to advance new nuclear energy. Major technology companies, including Google, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft, have also signed agreements to secure power from advanced reactor projects, and in some cases have invested directly in them.

National support is growing as well. Beginning in 2025, four presidential executive orders were issued to supercharge nuclear development, streamline licensing, encourage innovation, and set a goal of quadrupling America鈥檚 nuclear capacity by 2050. Another directive called for an SMR to be operational at a U.S. military base by 2028. That presents a real opportunity for Arizona, home to seven military installations.

Arizona is doing its part. Arizona State University has announced a strategic partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to accelerate deployment of microreactors for data centers. The University of Arizona is conducting fusion research. Arizona鈥檚 three largest electric utilities are engaged in pre-site selection work for future nuclear development. Private investors, including Arizona Nuclear Ventures, are also backing new nuclear startups.

All of this reflects a simple reality: the public is ready. Polling shows about 72 percent of Americans, along with a majority of Arizonans, support new nuclear energy. That support crosses party lines. The reasons are clear. These technologies promise more reliable power, stronger economic growth, and new high-quality jobs.

Arizona is ready to lead. Palo Verde already showed the country what is possible. With advanced reactors, we can do it again by powering economic growth, strengthening national security, and securing a more reliable energy future.

As President Ronald Reagan said, 鈥�We must continue to lead the world in the development and use of safe, clean nuclear energy.鈥�

Phoenix rose with the Atomic Age. Arizona can rise again by embracing the next generation of nuclear energy with the same ingenuity, ambition, and confidence that helped build our state in the first place.

Steve Montenegro is the Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives and serves Legislative District 29 in the West Valley, Goodyear, and Surprise. Follow him on X at @SteveMontenegro. Michael Carbone is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives representing Legislative District 25 and serves as House Majority Leader. Follow him on X at @MichaelCarbone.