The money comes from the Utilities’ Grant Funding Program, which is jointly funded by Arizona Public Service (APS), Salt River Project (SRP) and Tucson Electric Power (TEP). The funding allows for grant writing technical assistance and other forms of support to help develop new, sustainable economic strategies for residents and other stakeholders in impacted communities.

The following organizations were recently selected as grant recipients:

The Town of Eagar will receive a $25,000 grant to develop an updated general plan to replace the current version, which was written a decade ago. The updated general plan will identify areas of development, determine additional housing opportunities and craft a vision for the town’s future.

Apache County will receive a $25,000 grant to hire an engineering firm to write state and federal grants to support the design and construction of Phase II of the CR 8235 Stanford Road project.

The Town of Springerville will receive two grants. The first $25,000 grant will help fund the development of an updated master plan, the current version of which will expire in 2025. The master plan, a land use and infrastructure plan, sets forth local goals, objectives and policies to support community growth and redevelopment over the next two to three decades. The second $25,000 grant will match funding from the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority for new automatic meter readers, which will more accurately measure water usage, streamline operations and save water. 

Joseph City Unified School District will receive a $25,000 grant to match funds for an electric school bus that was awarded to the district through the second round of the EPA’s Clean Energy Grant.

APS, SRP and TEP pledged a combined $1 million in awards available through the Utilities’ Grant Funding program. Tribal, state and local governments, public schools, economic development groups and nonprofit groups within 75 miles of a closing or closed coal plant are eligible to apply.

Unit 1 of the Palo Verde Nuclear Plant in Arizona automatically tripped offline April 8 due to a loss of power to reactor coolant pumps, according to a report filed with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

The notification to regulators from operator Arizona Public Service said prior to the reactor trip, the main turbine tripped due to a loss of hydraulic pressure. The main generator output breakers did not automatically open on the turbine trip as expected, so control room operators opened the breakers.

Once the breakers were opened, the two 13.8 kV electrical distribution buses failed to complete a fast bus transfer, which resulted in the loss of power to the reactor coolant pumps, initiating the reactor trip.

According to the NRC filing, control room operators manually actuated a main steam isolation signal per procedure, requiring use of the atmospheric dump valves. The unit had been operating at 100% power.

“Following the reactor trip, all control element assemblies inserted fully into the core,” reads the event narrative. “No automatic specified system actuation was required or occurred. No emergency plan classification was required per the Emergency Plan. Safety related buses remained powered from offsite power during the event and the offsite power grid is stable.”

The loss of hydraulic pressure, the main generator output breakers failing to automatically open and the fast bus transfer not actuating are being investigated.

“As soon as the plant (Unit 1) safely shut down, we started an investigation into what caused this to happen and why,” said an Arizona Public Service spokesperson in an email. “That investigation is still ongoing.”

The spokesperson was not able to comment further.

Palo Verde is the largest nuclear plant in the U.S., with a total net summer generating capacity of about 3,937 MW.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is partnering with utilities on four hydrogen demonstration projects at U.S. nuclear power plants.

Hydrogen would be produced at the nuclear plants through high- or low-temperature electrolysis, a process of splitting water into pure hydrogen and oxygen. High-temperature electrolyzers use both heat and electricity to split water and are more efficient.

Many believe nuclear is a tool to produce clean hydrogen, which is seen as an important path to drive decarbonization – including in hard-to-abate sectors. In power generation, hydrogen is one of the leading options for storing renewable energy and can be used in gas turbines to increase power system flexibility.

Listed below are the four nuclear plants expected to ramp up hydrogen production. Please click the links to read any of our previous reporting.

Nine Mile Point Nuclear Power Station (Oswego, NY) 

DOE is supporting the construction and installation of a low-temperature electrolysis system at the Nine Mile Point station in Oswego, New York. Nine Mile Point would be the first nuclear-powered clean hydrogen production facility in the U.S. and would also use the hydrogen to help cool the plant.

Constellation plans to begin producing hydrogen there before the end of 2022.

The utility also partnered with NYSERDA on a separate project to power a fuel cell at the facility and will start providing additional power to the grid in 2025. 

Davis–Besse Nuclear Power Station (Oak Harbor, OH)

Energy Harbor is working to demonstrate a low-temperature electrolysis system at the Davis–Besse Nuclear Power Station. The single unit reactor is expected to produce clean hydrogen by 2023.

Energy Harbor is part of a larger group called the Great Lakes Clean Hydrogen (GLCH) coalition. GLCH aims to develop a Midwestern regional hydrogen hub and is applying for DOE funding

Hydrogen produced at Davis-Besse could support local manufacturing and transportation services, including fuel for a local bus fleet.

Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant (Red Wing, MN)

Xcel Energy is working on a demonstration project coupling Bloom Energy’s high-temperature electrolysis with the Prairie Island nuclear plant in Red Wing, Minnesota.

Engineering for the Xcel-Bloom 240 KW demonstration is currently underway, with construction expected to begin in late 2023 and power-on expected in early 2024.

Palo Verde Generating Station (Tonopah, AZ)

Finally, DOE is negotiating an award with Arizona Public Service (APS) and PNW Hydrogen to demonstrate another low-temperature electrolysis system at the Palo Verde Generating Station in Tonopah, Arizona.

The hydrogen would be used to produce electricity during times of high demand or to make chemicals and other fuels. The project could start producing hydrogen in 2024.

According to the DOE, a single 1,000 MW nuclear reactor could produce more than 150,000 metric tons of hydrogen each year. Ten nuclear reactors could provide about 1.5 million metric tons annually or 15% of current hydrogen produced in the United States, the DOE said. 

Four Arizona utilities and three public universities are forming a coalition to help the state move toward a carbon-neutral economy.

Arizona Public Service, Salt River Project, Tucson Electric Power and Southwest Gas, along with Arizona State University, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University, plan to discuss strategies and solutions.

The coalition established a new ASU-based center called the “Center for an Arizona Carbon-Neutral Economy,” housed within the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory on the ASU Tempe campus. Among its first efforts, the center is expected to pursue creating a regional clean hydrogen hub.

“Today’s partnership will pave the way towards a carbon-neutral economy by 2050, creating the jobs of the future and fueling innovation and sustainable energy sources throughout our state,” Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ)said.

Hydrogen produces no direct emissions of pollutants or greenhouse gases, and it offers ways to decarbonize a range of sectors. Interest in using hydrogen as an electric power-generating fuel is growing. In the United States, several power plants have announced plans to operate on a natural gas-hydrogen fuel mixture in combustion gas turbines.

The infrastructure law passed by Congress and signed by President Biden in 2021 establishes program guidance and funding to create regional clean hydrogen hubs, which the coalition will seek. The law defined a “regional clean hydrogen hub” as a network of clean hydrogen producers, potential clean hydrogen consumers, and connective infrastructure located in close proximity, with hubs encompassing the use of diverse feedstocks, end-uses and geographic placement. Beyond that, the specific details and implementation would have to be defined by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

The infrastructure law also includes funding for clean hydrogen electrolysis research and development, along with efforts to promote clean hydrogen manufacturing and recycling.

When fully operational, a new hub would help support a reliable and resilient electric grid, provide clean energy for the electric, transportation and industrial sectors, and potentially create economic development opportunities in communities that are adversely impacted by the closure of fossil-fueled plants.