The palo verde generating station is the largest power plant in the united states by net generation. The palo verde generating station is a nuclear power plant located near tonopah arizona in western arizona it is located about 45 miles 72 km due west of downtown phoenix arizona and it is located near the gila river which is dry save for the rainy season in late summer. Each spring nearly 1 000 highly specialized technicians from around the us descend on the palo verde nuclear generating station near phoenix arizona to refuel one of the plant s three nuclear.
With the reactor down for refueling the news media were invited to take a peek inside the 4 000 acre palo verde complex. Now the plant reaches out regularly to the media schools science teachers and others to educate and excite people about potential careers in the nuclear field. Palo verde is the largest producer of clean air energy in the nation serving more than 4 million people in the southwest and generating more than 32 million megawatt hours of electric power annually.
During the 2003 iraq war national guard troops were deployed to palo verde to defend against a possible terrorist threat. It is a critical piece of strategic infrastructure. Palo verde nuclear power plant is the largest in the u s producing over three gigawatts 35 of arizona s total power capacity it supplies electricity to phoenix and tucson as well as san diego and los angeles.
Shortly before 11 00 pm local time at the palo verde nuclear generating station daphne rodriguez an acting security section chief at the plant called the duty officer at nrc s headquarters. The palo verde nuclear plant sits in a rugged isolated desert on the western outskirts of phoenix about 50 miles from downtown the drone incidents there first unfolded shortly before 9pm local. Palo verde nuclear power plant is the largest in the u s producing over three gigawatts 35.
Unit 3 scene of the drone incursions is on the right. Palo verde nuclear plant.
