By Matthew Holloway |

Republican gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ05) says Arizona should embrace an expanded nuclear future, backing additional reactors at Palo Verde Generating Station while positioning the state to become a national leader in small modular reactor technology.

In an exclsuive interview with AZ Free News, Biggs voiced unequivocal support for expanding Arizona’s nuclear generating capacity as electricity demand continues rising from population growth, advanced manufacturing, and data centers.

“I’m 100 percent behind it,” Biggs said when asked about expanding Palo Verde. “I think they need to be located there.”

His comments come as Arizona utilities continue to pursue license renewals that would allow Palo Verde’s three existing reactors to operate into the 2060s. Palo Verde was also originally envisioned with additional generating capacity, including Units 4 and 5, expansion plans first contemplated in the 1970s and revisited in 2006.

Separately, Arizona Public Service (APS), Salt River Project (SRP) and Tucson Electric Power (TEP)  announced in February 2025 that they were working together to identify potential sites for an entirely new nuclear power plant to meet growing energy demands.

“New nuclear generation could provide Arizona with reliable, around-the-clock carbon-free energy to power economic growth while helping us make progress toward a clean energy future,” TEP President and CEO Susan Gray said in a news release at the time. “We know the development timeline would be long, so it makes sense for our state’s energy providers to begin this preliminary evaluation as soon as possible.”

Biggs also expressed strong support for small modular reactors, commonly known as SMRs.

“I’ve been supportive of the development of SMRs,” he said.

The Arizona legislature considered House Bill 2795 in February, which aimed to ease regulatory barriers for next-generation nuclear power projects in rural Arizona. However, the measure failed to pass in the State Senate.

While Biggs cautioned the technology is probably “not going to be scalable for five to 10 years,” he said Arizona should move aggressively to secure one of the first demonstration projects.

One location stands above the rest, according to Biggs. He said, “We’re advocating that Luke Air Force Base gets an SMR—one of the first nine or 10 that the administration is insisting needs to be there by the end of 2027.”

Biggs said he has been working alongside fellow Arizona Republican members of Congress, including Reps. Paul Gosar (R-AZ09), Eli Crane (R-AZ02), and Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ08), to encourage the effort.

“We want to be on the cutting edge of that. Because I think SMRs are the wave of the future,” Biggs said.

He also said recent meetings with energy-sector officials reinforced that view.

“I just talked to an energy group last week, and they agree SMRs are the wave of the future. And that’s where we need to be going.”

Biggs also tied nuclear development to Arizona’s broader economic future, saying reliable baseload power will be essential as advanced manufacturing, semiconductor production, artificial intelligence, and data centers continue expanding throughout the state.

Although he said he supports data center investment, Biggs argued such projects should proceed without taxpayer subsidies or preferential treatment.

“No special breaks. No special benefits,” he said.

Instead, Biggs said developers should be responsible for securing their own electrical generation—including SMRs where appropriate—while ensuring existing residential and commercial ratepayers are not displaced by new industrial demand.

His comments come as Arizona utilities and policymakers increasingly examine nuclear energy as part of the state’s long-term strategy to meet growing electricity demand while maintaining grid reliability.

Biggs is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, making energy development one of several major policy areas he says will shape Arizona’s long-term economic competitiveness.

Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.