Bill > SB1418

This bill modifies existing Arizona law to create an exemption for the construction and operation of small modular reactors, which are defined as nuclear generating units with a nameplate rating of not more than three hundred megawatts, from certain regulatory requirements. Specifically, in counties with fewer than 500,000 residents, a utility can construct a new small modular reactor or replace an existing thermal electric generating unit with one, provided it is located on or adjacent to a site that previously received a certificate of environmental compatibility or was in use before August 13, 1971, and after providing 30 days' written notice to the Corporation Commission. This exemption also applies to new small modular reactors colocated with an "extra high load factor customer," a term defined by the Corporation Commission, and requires compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. In counties with 500,000 or more residents, the construction and operation of small modular reactors are permitted under specific conditions, including being colocated with an extra high load factor customer that has received all applicable zoning entitlements, obtaining federal design certification, not being located within a county island or within three miles of a municipality's boundaries, and submitting design certification and location maps to the county board of supervisors. The bill also updates definitions related to power plants and transmission lines to include small modular reactors and adjusts the minimum nameplate rating for certain generating units from one hundred to two hundred megawatts.