Arizona is a more likely location for new reactors in the western United States. Edison is one of seven utilities that own the plant, which provides electricity for much of the Southwest. One megawatt is enough electricity for 1,000 homes. Palo Verde is licensed by federal regulators to have up to five reactors, McDonald said. However, there are no plans to build more reactors there until they make environmental and economic sense, he said.
Public opinion is also a factor to be considered before any new construction.
But it's a bit too soon. New non-nuclear power plants are being built throughout the West, he said. Many people in the nuclear industry are waiting to see how those plants will affect the energy supply. McDonald and Golden said there appears to be renewed interest in nuclear power. Reactors remain controversial Nuclear power, a controversial topic since its midcentury inception, could be making a comeback thanks to decades of safety within the industry, its steadily improving record of productivity, and the ongoing energy crisis.