Arizona and the nation face surging energy demand. AI, data centers, domestic reshoring, and economic growth are stretching our grid. Advanced nuclear reactors are ready to deliver the clean, reliable, and abundant power we need. But regulatory red tape and excessive public process threaten to stand in the way.

Today’s permitting system too often prioritizes procedure over outcomes, adding unnecessary steps that slow progress and derail major projects. Public input is essential, but the effort to democratize the process has gone too far. A vocal minority with no capital invested in a project can now block even the most widely supported proposals, weaponizing public comments, exploiting environmental reviews, and abusing land use appeals to drive up costs and deny critical permits.

No energy source is immune.

In Massachusetts, just a few dozen affluent homeowners derailed a major offshore wind project, Cape Wind, by filing 26 lawsuits and fighting it for nearly 16 years. Though they publicly supported renewable energy, they opposed this project because it threatened their property values and views, placing personal interests above their stated cause and exhausting every avenue until the project collapsed.

In Tennessee, residents who generally support fossil fuels opposed a new coal-fired power plant that the Tennessee Valley Authority proposed to meet rising demand. They mobilized against it and used local permitting objections to slow the project in the very community it was meant to serve.

Arizona has seen the same abuse. In southern Arizona, a small group of residents who otherwise support renewable energy repeatedly used the public process to delay SunZia, a critical high-voltage transmission line needed to deliver renewable power from New Mexico. For more than seven years, local activists opposed the clean energy project to stop it from being built in their backyards.

In Mohave County, NIMBYism cut across both energy types. First, residents demanded a countywide moratorium on new solar development. Then, when the local electric cooperative proposed a natural gas expansion to meet growing demand, many of the same residents turned against that project as well, flooding the planning and zoning process with protests and forcing the utility to find a new site.

This is why we struggle to build in America. What began as a good-faith effort to democratize permitting has devolved into endless procedural abuse. It no longer serves a modern economy. These objections are often less about environmental protection or responsible development than about protecting personal interests and stopping projects altogether, raising risks for developers while weakening our national economy and security.

Nowhere is that risk greater than with new nuclear reactors.

According to senior officials at the U.S. Department of Energy, the nuclear sector must navigate more regulatory steps than any other energy infrastructure sector in the nation, with at least 14 points of public input across federal, state, and local levels combined.

At the federal level, these include hearings, comment periods, challenges, and appeals on NEPA environmental impact statements, Nuclear Regulatory Commission license applications, and site suitability reviews for nuclear waste storage.

At the state level, they include hearings, interventions, and appeals before the Arizona Power Plant & Transmission Line Siting Committee, Corporation Commission, and Department of Environmental Quality for certificates of environmental compatibility and air and water quality permits.

At the local level, they include hearings, comments, and appeals involving decisions by planning and zoning commissions, boards of supervisors, and city councils on rezonings, special use permits, or general plan amendments.

Each step creates another opportunity for delay, opening the door to self-interested property owners, outside special-interest groups, anti-competitive business rivals, and even hostile foreign adversaries to block critical projects by adding time, cost, and legal risk, including nuclear projects that most Americans support.

Recent events show how steep the climb already is. When Arizona’s three largest electric utilities announced plans to explore a new nuclear plant, residents protested outside Tucson Electric Power’s headquarters, and that was before a site had even been selected.

Thoughtful public comment remains essential and can improve a project’s design or location. But providing endless points for delay and opposition is neither constructive nor democratic. It wastes time and does more to stall or kill projects than improve them. Given that advanced reactors are safer and smaller than older designs, the current process already offers more opportunities for public participation than most projects reasonably require.

If we want to usher in a new era of energy abundance, unleash economic prosperity, restore domestic manufacturing, and win the AI arms race against China, we must support rapid deployment of advanced nuclear technology and reevaluate the permitting system that now threatens American economic power and leadership.

As leaders, our goal should be simple: Everyone should have a voice, but no one should have a veto. Arizona can preserve democratic process while delivering decisive nuclear deployment. It’s time to support advanced reactors and eliminate the endless proceduralism standing in the way of America’s clean, prosperous, and abundant energy future.

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.

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The Industrial Commission of Arizona voted last week to adopt strengthened workplace heat safety guidelines for employers statewide, delivering an outcome the business community called a practical, Arizona-driven solution to a genuine challenge.

The commission’s action follows nearly a year of work by the Governor’s Workplace Heat Safety Task Force, which brought together business, labor, and occupational safety experts to develop guidance grounded in real-world conditions. The Arizona Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ of Commerce & Industry and the Arizona Manufacturers Council participated throughout that process, with Grace Appelbe representing both organizations.

Appearing before the commission, Appelbe urged members to support the task force recommendations, describing them as the product of genuine collaboration and the right fit for the state’s diverse economic landscape.

“The recommendations before you reflect a thoughtful, Arizona-specific approach grounded in real-world experience,” Appelbe told the commission. “They focus on practical measures — water, shade, rest, acclimatization, and training — while preserving the flexibility needed across different industries and job sites.”

The guidelines adopted by the commission build on the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health’s existing Heat Stress State Emphasis Program, launched in 2023. In the months ahead, the commission will expand employer training on heat risks, encourage the development of workplace heat safety plans, and collect data on the effectiveness of heat safety interventions across the state. Commissioners plan to revisit the recommendations in December.

For Arizona’s business community, the outcome reflects a broader principle that worker safety and economic sustainability are not in conflict — but that the path to both runs through collaboration rather than mandate.

“That balance is critical,” Appelbe said in her testimony. “In other states, more rigid, one-size-fits-all mandates have created compliance challenges without necessarily improving outcomes. Arizona has taken a better approach — one that prioritizes safety while recognizing operational realities.”

The commission’s chairman described the vote as a beginning rather than an endpoint, noting that guidelines carry the advantage of taking effect immediately, allowing employers to act now while the state continues gathering data to inform any future rulemaking.

Appelbe told the commission that the Arizona Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ and Manufacturers Council are prepared to be active partners in what comes next. “We stand ready to work with the Commission and its staff on the distribution and implementation of these employer guidelines to ensure Arizona’s workers are informed and protected,” she said.

The Arizona Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ and Manufacturers Council have been engaged in the heat safety conversation since the task force was convened by executive order in 2025. Appelbe said the business community’s consistent goal throughout has been to ensure that any guidance coming out of the process works in actual workplaces — across manufacturing floors, construction sites, agricultural operations, and the full range of industries that make up Arizona’s economy.

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Amid ongoing concerns about the Colorado River, it is understandable that Arizonans would ask hard questions about water use from new industries, including data centers. Under different scenarios, the Central Arizona Water Conservation District has estimated reductions between 20 and 57 percent to municipal water entitlements, which could require some cities to rely on alternative supplies or banked water savings reserves.

But the fear of shortages shouldn’t stop state and local officials from viewing growth in context with the broader water picture. Our state has some of the toughest water laws in the nation. Arizona’s water managers are among the best in the country, and remarkably, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ses less water today than it did in the 1950s, despite a population that has grown sevenfold and an economy that has expanded dramatically.

That record should give us confidence, not fear.

Given our strong track record for conservation, Arizona should continue welcoming responsible businesses, especially those with a demonstrated commitment to water conservation and stewardship. That includes data centers, which are becoming as essential to modern life as power lines, water systems, and fiber-optic networks.

Just as important, many modern data centers are being designed with water efficiency in mind.

Many hyperscale facilities use closed-loop cooling systems that require a one-time initial water fill and then use only minimal additional water beyond domestic needs. Others rely on dry cooling or similarly advanced methods that greatly reduce or eliminate traditional evaporative water use.

Arizona is already seeing this shift in practice.

CyrusOne uses air cooling and a closed-loop system at its Chandler campus, which largely eliminates ongoing evaporative water demand after the initial fill.

Google uses advanced dry-cooling technology at its Mesa data center to reduce long-term water use.

Meta uses a closed-loop, multi-pass system at its Mesa facility to recycle and recirculate water before discharge.

These examples make an important point: data center operators are not ignoring Arizona’s water realities. They are adapting to them.

That is not surprising. As the has noted, data centers have strong economic incentives to improve operational efficiency in both energy and water use. Conservation is not just good stewardship. It is also smart business. Data centers also provide critical revenues that are necessary to help fund the next tranche of major water conservation investments.

The construction of new digital infrastructure requires millions of dollars in new capital investment, which translates to assessed value, jobs, and secondary impacts that increase state and local revenues. A single 250 megawatt data center, for example, brings in nearly $45 million in annual real and business property taxes and pays over $15 million in sales taxes on its annual electric bill alone.

Arizona should absolutely position itself to take advantage of this investment and use it to fund the future water infrastructure projects for this state. No additional fees or surcharges are required.

Although the uncertainty on the Colorado River is real, our state’s largest cities and towns have the water they need to accommodate future growth, and they should continue to attract the latest and most cutting-edge industries to our state, especially those like data centers that are adopting the latest technology in water-efficient infrastructure.

Arizona has never succeeded by retreating from the future. Our state has long embraced innovation, growth, and responsible stewardship of limited resources. The next era of economic development will depend on technological infrastructure, and data centers will be part of that future.

Economic growth, technological advancement, and water stewardship do not have to be in conflict. Arizona can and should lead on all three.

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. Justin Wilmeth is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 2 in North Phoenix and is Chairman of the House Committee on Artificial Intelligence & Innovation. Follow him on X at @JustinWilmethAZ.

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As Arizona’s largest private employer, Banner Health is highlighting its outsized role not only in health care, but in the state’s broader economy.

In its newly released 2025 annual report, the Phoenix-based nonprofit health system said it invested $1.1 billion back into the communities it serves, supporting patient care, workforce development, research, and prevention efforts. The report also estimates Banner’s operations generate a $12 billion annual economic impact across Arizona.

The figures reinforce Banner’s standing as one of Arizona’s most consequential institutions for both public health and economic growth.

According to the report, Banner supports 140,000 jobs statewide, including 60,000 direct employees and another 80,000 indirect jobs tied to its operations and related economic activity.

For Arizona’s business community, those numbers underscore how health care systems increasingly serve as pillars of regional economic development, workforce stability, and long-term competitiveness.

“A strong health care system is foundational to a strong economy,â€� Arizona Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ of Commerce & Industry President and CEO Danny Seiden said. “Banner Health’s continued investment in Arizona’s workforce, communities, and long-term health outcomes demonstrates how essential institutions like this help make our state a place where businesses can grow, families can thrive, and talent wants to live and work.â€�

That broader economic perspective is reflected in Banner’s nonprofit model, which emphasizes reinvestment in patient care, technology, workforce development, and community-based services across Arizona.

“As a nonprofit health system, every dollar we earn is invested into our care, services, technology, talent and communities, not Wall Street shareholders,� Banner Health President and CEO Amy Perry said in the report’s .

That reinvestment model is especially visible in Banner’s workforce pipeline efforts, a critical issue as Arizona continues to grapple with population growth and a rising demand for health care professionals.

The annual report notes Banner trains more than 1,300 residents and fellows each year, supports 7,000 nursing students annually, and provides hands-on health care career experiences for more than 3,500 high school students through programs such as Camp Scrubs.

Those investments come as Arizona employers across sectors continue to emphasize the importance of talent development and workforce readiness.

Beyond its role as an employer, Banner also detailed major investments aimed at improving health outcomes in Arizona communities.

Among the report’s highlights, the system said it served 70,000 meals to low-income seniors through the Banner Olive Branch Senior Center and distributed more than 1 million pounds of food through its pantry operations.

Banner’s BIG Pink Bus mobile mammography program also screened nearly 1,000 women, with 18% receiving their first-ever screening, expanding access to preventive care in communities that may otherwise face barriers to early detection services.

The report also cites measurable gains in preventive care among Medicaid populations, including a 114% increase in colorectal cancer screenings and more than an 1,100% increase in blood pressure checks year over year.

For employers and policymakers alike, those gains carry implications that extend beyond the health sector.

A healthier workforce can translate into reduced absenteeism, improved productivity, and lower long-term health costs — all factors that influence Arizona’s economic competitiveness.

As the state continues to attract new residents, businesses, and investment, Banner’s report makes clear that health care infrastructure remains a central driver of Arizona’s economic momentum.

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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, “Our children will enjoy in their homes electrical energy too cheap to meter.� 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 “Silicon Desert.� 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’s 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, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­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’s 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’s 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, “We must continue to lead the world in the development and use of safe, clean nuclear energy.�

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.

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Last week, the Arizona Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ of Commerce & Industry office was a hub of policy exchange as we hosted a delegation of lawmakers and business leaders from Missouri. The “Show Me Stateâ€� representatives came west to see how our deliberate policy choices in areas like regulation, taxes, and emerging technologies have turned Arizona into a global leader in advanced manufacturing and semiconductors.

Arizona has much to teach other states about economic growth, and we are proud to showcase the work of our lawmakers and successive governors.

But during those conversations, one lesson ran in the other direction: Missouri is showing us a better way to help small businesses afford health care.

In Missouri, the state chamber of commerce , or MEWA. It’s model that allows small businesses to pool their risk and gain a level of buying power typically reserved for larger corporations. The result is greater rate stability, more plan choices, and lower costs. 

It’s not just Missouri that offers MEWAs. Nearly 30 other states have already implemented similar programs. Yet in Arizona, many small businesses and sole proprietors remain on the sidelines. , sponsored by Rep. David Livingston, is our opportunity to catch up.

HB 2693 expands the definition of entities that can operate these self-funded health plans to include statewide chambers of commerce and business leagues. By allowing small employers to join a larger pool, the bill helps stabilize premiums and expand access to quality coverage for the job creators who are the backbone of our economy.

Despite no group coming forward to oppose the bill publicly, some legislators have expressed criticisms, but they miss the mark.

First, HB 2693 is fully compliant with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Opponents often confuse this state-level expansion with a 2018 federal rule that was struck down in court. This bill is different. It operates within the explicit authority granted to states under ERISA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, to regulate MEWAs. 

This bill also doesn’t weaken coverage protections. Arizona law continues to require coverage for preexisting conditions, maternity care, mental health coverage, and prescription drugs. In practice, large group plans—which MEWAs emulate—often provide more comprehensive benefits than what many smaller employers can access today, including superior dental and vision coverage. 

This bill creates affordability through scale. By pooling together, small employers create a larger risk pool that puts natural downward pressure on costs and reduces volatility. By purchasing as a coalition, small businesses gain the leverage to negotiate for the high-quality, robust coverage usually only available to the state’s largest employers. This isn’t about cutting corners; it’s about using collective strength to make comprehensive care more attainable. 

The bill also recognizes the modern workforce by including sole proprietors and working owners. If an individual works at least 20 hours a week or earns enough to cover their premiums, they deserve access to the same stable, high-quality coverage as a corporate executive.

For years, Arizona has led by embracing innovation and market-based solutions. It’s time we apply that same mindset to health care. By passing HB 2693, we are giving Arizona’s small businesses another tool to grow, compete, and thrive.

Danny Seiden is the president and CEO of the Arizona Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ of Commerce & Industry.

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As policymakers look for ways to meet rising energy demands with clean and reliable power, some anti-nuclear advocates argue that new nuclear plants should be dismissed because of historically high upfront costs and past construction delays.

But advanced nuclear technologies like small modular reactors (SMRs) promise to overcome those challenges and deliver clean, reliable, and abundant power through a simple but transformative model: factory-built fabrication, one-time design permits, and modular deployment.

Some traditional nuclear plants have seen major cost overruns. The proposed Marble Hill project in Indiana, for example, rose from $800 million to $2.8 billion before being canceled in 1983, while Vogtle Units 3 and 4 grew from about $14 billion to more than $30 billion and were delivered several years late. But nuclear is hardly unique.

Large, capital-intensive projects of all kinds can run over budget and behind schedule, including wind and solar. Virginia’s Coastal Offshore Wind project grew from $9.8 billion to $10.7 billion because of grid interconnection challenges. Wisconsin’s Koshkonong Solar Energy Center rose from $649 million to more than $900 million because of supply-chain issues and labor constraints. In Arizona, the Solana Generating Station fell three years behind schedule and cost millions more than expected because of construction missteps, equipment failures, and air-quality violations, locking ratepayers into electricity prices four times the market rate.

With nuclear, high costs and delays often stem from new safety requirements imposed after construction is underway and a permitting system that requires each plant to be custom-designed from the ground up, even when the technology is very similar to past projects.

At Vogtle, nearly 200 license amendments forced costly pauses and redesigns. Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station also saw costs increase in the 1980s after new safety requirements were imposed following the Three Mile Island accident. Those circumstances were outside the builders’ control, but they reflect the consequences of a system that treats each project as a one-of-a-kind, standalone facility. That prevents new plants from learning from past mistakes and capturing economies of scale through repetition.

Today’s new reactors are changing that. Instead of building massive, one-time projects, advanced reactors are pursuing smaller, modular, repeatable designs that can be approved once and deployed again and again without additional permits or redesigns. Once the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission certifies a design, modules can be mass-produced in centralized factories, shipped by truck, rail, or barge, and assembled on-site with far greater speed and predictability.

Developers are already moving in this direction.

Last Energy, which has signed power purchase agreements with industrial off-takers in the UK and Poland, plans to use modular factory fabrication and skid-mounted shipping to achieve roughly 24-month deployment timelines and repeatable cost reductions for its 20 MWe PWR-20 reactor.

Kairos Power, which is backed by Google and the U.S. Department of Energy, plans to use off-site module fabrication and factory-to-site construction methods to lower commercial build risk for its Hermes low-power demonstration reactor and future 140 MWe KP-FHR platform.

NuCube Energy, which is backed by Arizona Nuclear Ventures, plans to use ultra-small factory fabrication and truck-and-rail deployment for its roughly 1 to 20 MWe microreactor platform, allowing rapid field deployment and multi-unit scaling for remote or industrial users.

By standardizing designs, making units smaller, and allowing one-time design certifications, advanced nuclear offers a fundamentally different business model: off-the-shelf, factory-fabricated nuclear plants ready for deployment and able to benefit from the cost efficiencies of serial production. That reduces construction risk, increases delivery speed, and drives the kind of cost declines seen in other industries, where each successive unit becomes faster, cheaper, and more efficient than the last.

Even legacy nuclear showed those gains. Vogtle Unit 4 was completed at roughly 30% lower cost than Unit 3, and Palo Verde’s later units were built more efficiently than the first. Replication-driven cost declines are real, and nuclear is positioned to capture them.

There will be some growing pains. NuScale Power, for example, saw projected costs rise because of construction and supply expenses, ultimately leading to the project’s cancellation. But that reflects the reality of first-of-a-kind deployment, not a structural flaw. Each company is still proving a unique design, and none has yet had the opportunity to fully benefit from the serial factory production that should deliver the economies of scale SMRs promise.

Advanced nuclear is not repeating the mistakes of the past. It is solving them. With modularity at its core, it is positioned to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable power at the scale America needs.

Let’s not allow yesterday’s permitting and construction challenges to stand in the way of tomorrow’s advanced energy solutions. Let’s support small modular reactors and build a reliable, abundant energy future.

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. Michael Way is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 15, which includes Mesa and Queen Creek in Maricopa County, and San Tan Valley in Pinal County. Follow him on X at @MichaelWayAZ.

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For generations, Arizona’s firefighters have answered the call, training to run toward danger, not away from it, and preparing for the worst, often with limited resources and information about evolving technologies.

As interest in new advanced nuclear reactors such as small modular reactors, or SMRs, grows, some are beginning to ask whether local fire departments are prepared because SMRs are smaller, more advanced, and could be deployed in more locations?

It’s a fair question. The idea of responding to a nuclear-related incident does raise legitimate questions. Many fire departments, particularly in rural areas, operate with limited budgets, rely on mutual aid agreements, and do not have the advanced hazmat or radiological certifications necessary to respond to a fire at a nuclear site.

Add to that the fact that Arizona has not built a new nuclear plant in more than 40 years, since Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station was constructed in the mid-1980s. Since then, entire generations have come and gone without ever having to think about the rigorous permitting requirements new nuclear plants must undergo to ensure public safety. And outside Maricopa County, most departments have never had to consider it at all.

But the evidence is clear: if a new SMR were sited in a rural county, no firefighter would be expected to walk into an unknown chemical or radiological hazard for which they were not prepared. 

SMRs are not the Cold War-era systems people associate with radioactive release or nuclear fallout. Advanced reactor designs like TerraPower’s Natrium reactor, X-energy’s Xe-100, and Oklo’s Aurora use passive safety features that make them effectively ‘meltdown-proof’ and ‘walk-away safe,’ virtually eliminating the risk of high-pressure explosions and radioactive plumes.

Nuclear facilities are among the most heavily regulated energy infrastructure in the county. Federal law requires every nuclear plant to maintain a fully dedicated, on-site fire brigade capable of handling fire, hazmat and radiological incidents independently.

10 CFR § 50.48 (Fire Protection), for example, requires plants to be equipped to respond to emergencies without relying on local jurisdictions. That’s why Palo Verde has its own on-site fire department with no mutual aid agreements with surrounding jurisdictions. It is not by choice. It is because federal law requires it, and federal law would require the same for new SMRs.

10 CFR Part 100 (Site Criteria) requires reactors to be located far from populated areas, at least 1.333 times the distance from the reactor site to the outer boundary of its low-population zone. Although this zone will be smaller for SMRs because they are inherently safer, locations will still be 3 to 5 miles or more beyond municipal boundaries.

10 CFR 50.47 (Emergency Planning Zone) makes clear that local jurisdictions participate in a purely supplemental off-site role, such as facilitating community coordination, evacuations, or sheltering in the event of an emergency. That demonstrates that local jurisdictions are not expected to enter plant operations or contaminated areas during an event, including for new SMRs.

In short, nuclear energy does not depend on local firefighters to manage complex on-site emergencies. It is designed, regulated and operated to be self-contained.

Arizona has a proven track record with nuclear energy. Palo Verde has safely powered our state for decades while supporting thousands of jobs and contributing billions to the economy.

Now, as we consider the deployment of new energy technologies, we have an opportunity to build on that success. Nuclear plants contribute millions annually in local tax revenue, which provides critical funding for local fire departments, including new fire trucks, upgraded fire stations, and state-of-the-art training facilities. They also provide hundreds of good-paying jobs, including for local fire departments and districts in rural areas.

With these new designs, Arizona’s fire departments and districts are being given an opportunity to benefit. Let’s take advantage of that.

The rules are in place. The technology is safe. And the benefits are real. Let’s move forward with confidence and ensure Arizona remains a leader in powering the future.

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. Representative Walt Blackman is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 7 and is Chairman of the House Government Committee. Follow him on X at @BlackmanForAZ.

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As Arizona rises to meet the challenges of a new era of energy demand, driven by the emergence of artificial intelligence and data centers, advanced nuclear reactors promise to provide the clean, reliable, and abundant energy we need to meet new demands around the clock.

Some critics, however, argue that these new reactors should be opposed because they do not operate like fast-ramping natural gas plants, claiming their operating characteristics are too inflexible to respond rapidly to sudden changes in demand. But these arguments misunderstand both the nature of the problem and the reality of modern reactor designs.

What we are experiencing with increased demand is not a peak-demand problem. It is a baseload problem, representing a need to increase the amount of permanent, structural, baseline power generated around the clock. A single large data center, for example, can require anywhere from 50 to 150 megawatts of continuous power, while hyperscale campuses can require several hundred megawatts, operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

This requires a massive expansion of reliable, always-on energy that runs continuously while retaining the ability to adjust output when needed. Nuclear plants operate at capacity factors typically above 90% and can be called on at any time to meet demand, which is exactly why new nuclear is the ideal resource for this moment. Arizona’s Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, for example, operated at a 100% capacity factor through record-setting heat in 2025, ensuring power was available around the clock without interruption when it was needed most.

Intermittent energy resources like wind and solar, on the other hand, operate at only 20% to 40% capacity factor. Because they are not dispatchable and rely entirely on weather to generate electricity, operators must build three to four times the nameplate capacity needed to meet actual demand. And even with that buildout, renewables still cannot be relied on 24/7 to deliver power when needed.

In addition to baseload power, the next generation of reactors is also being designed to offer increased load-following capabilities and operational flexibility, allowing them to respond dynamically to changes in demand and representing a fundamental shift in the way nuclear reactors operate.

The measure of a generator’s technical maneuverability is whether it can make planned or instructed changes in output quickly, across a wide range, and reliably over time. Open-cycle natural gas plants are typically the benchmark for flexibility, with ramp rates of roughly 8% to 12% per minute, while large thermal units like traditional light-water reactors can typically ramp at only around 1% to 5% per minute.

The challenge with traditional light-water reactors is that they were not designed to ramp up and down quickly, and they face physical limitations that make rapid ramping unsafe or impossible. These reactors are large, high-mass systems with significant thermal inertia, which resists rapid temperature changes and creates risks of material stress and long-term damage. As a result, power adjustments must be gradual.

But this is where the technology is evolving. Unlike traditional reactor designs, many advanced reactors are being engineered specifically for increased flexibility. Smaller cores reduce thermal inertia. Alternative coolants and fuel forms increase operational dexterity. And modern designs incorporate entirely new approaches to delivering power.

TerraPower’s Natrium reactor, backed by Bill Gates, NVIDIA, and the U.S. Department of Energy, for example, is a 345 MW sodium-cooled fast reactor that uses integrated molten salt thermal energy storage to decouple reactor output from electricity generation, allowing stored heat to be dispatched on demand at capacity factors above 90% with ramp rates around 10% to 12% per minute.

Westinghouse’s eVinci microreactor, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, is a 5 MW heat-pipe-cooled microreactor that uses passive heat transfer and direct power conversion to deliver near-instantaneous load-following capability at the electrical interface, achieving capacity factors in the 90% range with effectively immediate ramping response.

General Atomics’ EM² reactor is a 265 MW helium-cooled fast reactor concept that uses a direct Brayton cycle and advanced fuel design to enable rapid within-core maneuverability, achieving capacity factors in the 90% range with projected ramp rates of up to 20% per minute.

Although the grid does not need every resource to behave like a natural gas plant, these new advanced reactors can offer something no previous energy source has: high-capacity-factor baseload power with the flexibility of fast-ramping, load-following plants. And with multi-module configurations allowing units to be stacked to meet larger industrial loads, operators can achieve even greater flexibility by adjusting output in stepwise increments, bringing individual reactors online or offline at different times to follow load dynamically without compromising reliability or efficiency. These are benefits that no weather-dependent renewable energy resource can provide.

Arizona stands at a crossroads. The surge in electricity demand is no longer theoretical. It is happening now. Data centers, advanced manufacturing, and population growth are placing new and sustained pressure on our grid.

Meeting that demand will require reliable, abundant, and responsive energy resources that can provide the baseload power our economy demands, the flexibility our grid requires, and the reliability our future depends on. Advanced nuclear reactors can deliver on all three.

Now is the time to move forward and support the advanced nuclear reactors Arizona needs to lead.

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. Matt Gress is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 4 in Phoenix and is Chairman of the House Committee on Education. Follow him on X at @MatthewGress.

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A delegation of Missouri state lawmakers and business leaders visited Arizona last week for a policy exchange focused on economic development, emerging technologies, and regulatory strategy, hosted by the Arizona Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ of Commerce & Industry and the Goldwater Institute.

The visit drew a cross-section of Arizona’s legislative leadership, including House Speaker Steve Montenegro, Majority Leader Michael Carbone, and several members focused on Arizona’s technology and economic development agenda. Representatives from the Arizona Commerce Authority also participated.

Discussions centered on the policy decisions and public-private partnerships that have helped Arizona build a competitive footprint in advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, aerospace, autonomous systems, and emerging technologies.

“Arizona’s growth didn’t happen by accident,â€� said Courtney Coolidge, executive vice president of the Arizona Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­. “It reflects deliberate policy choices that prioritize certainty, competitiveness, and a regulatory environment where businesses can invest, innovate, and scale. We were glad to share what’s working with leaders from Missouri.â€�

The exchange comes as the Arizona Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ has been pressing a broader push on digital economy policy, including its recently launched , which aims to strengthen the state’s position in artificial intelligence and emerging technology sectors.

Arizona’s legislative leaders framed the state’s approach as deliberate and long-term. “Arizona has made a conscious decision to lead on innovation rather than wait for other states to set the pace,� said Speaker Montenegro. “That kind of alignment and forward-looking policy environment allows industries to grow and scale here.�

Majority Leader Carbone pointed to the fundamentals underpinning that growth. “Arizona’s success in attracting major investment is tied directly to our focus on advanced manufacturing, infrastructure, and supply chain strength,� he said. “Those fundamentals are critical to sustaining long-term economic momentum.�

Regulatory predictability came up consistently as a deciding factor for businesses. “Companies are looking for certainty,” said Rep. Weninger. “Arizona’s predictable regulatory environment and competitive tax structure give businesses the confidence to invest and expand.â€�

Sen. T.J. Shope emphasized that the state has worked to distribute economic development beyond major metro areas. “We’ve been intentional about making sure economic development isn’t concentrated in one region,â€� he said. “Infrastructure, water, and land use policies all play a role in supporting growth across Arizona, including in rural communities.â€�

“Arizona continues to attract new and emerging industries by staying focused on innovation and targeted economic development,” said Sen. Carroll. “That approach is helping position the state for the next phase of economic expansion.”

Rep. Wilmeth echoed that, pointing to Arizona’s light-touch approach to emerging technology regulation as a competitive differentiator. “We’ve taken a thoughtful approach to emerging technologies by avoiding premature regulation,â€� he said. “That flexibility allows innovation to develop while still ensuring appropriate oversight.â€�

The discussion also explored how elements of Arizona’s policy framework could be adapted in other states and how cross-state collaboration might strengthen the broader U.S. economy.

Victor Riches, president and CEO of the Goldwater Institute, framed the stakes broadly. “As emerging technologies continue to reshape industries, policy certainty and deregulation matter more than ever,� he said. “Arizona needs to ensure an environment where innovation can move forward.� The Missouri delegation included state Sens. Travis Fitzwater, Maggie Nurrenbern, Karla May, Barbara Anne Washington, and Jamie Burger, along with a policy adviser to Gov. Kehoe and representatives from the .

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