Arizona House Majority Leader Michael Carbone (R-AZ) has been tapped as a 2026 Nuclear State Champion by Nuclear Matters, the advocacy arm of the Nuclear Energy Institute, a recognition that comes as Arizona quietly positions itself as one of the more ambitious states in the country for next-generation nuclear power.
The award highlights state leaders who have moved the needle on nuclear policy through legislation and public advocacy. For Carbone, that work has been years in the making.
His pitch is straightforward: Arizona is in the middle of a growth surge, and the electrical grid is feeling it. A swelling population, an influx of data centers, and expanding manufacturing operations are all competing for power.
Carbone has argued that renewables alone, subject to the whims of sun and wind, cannot reliably meet that demand.
"Nuclear energy is clean, safe, reliable, and available around the clock," he said. "It is exactly the kind of serious energy policy Arizona needs."
Recent Legislative Pushes
His signature effort, House Bill 2795, directly targets a specific obstacle. The bill would prevent counties from using local zoning rules to block small modular reactors, compact, modular nuclear units that can be factory-assembled, provided those projects have obtained federal permits and design certification. It cleared a key House committee earlier this year.
That bill sits within a wider Republican legislative push. Representative Justin Wilmeth (R-AZ) introduced measures to allow data centers and industrial users to co-locate with reactors and require counties to incorporate SMRs into long-term planning.
Representative Frank Carroll (R-AZ) pushed to allow utilities to swap fossil-fuel units for SMRs without additional environmental review.
Additionally, Representative James Taylor (R-AZ) sought county approval for SMR manufacturing facilities, while Representative Teresa Martinez (R-AZ) called for a state study on the economic benefits of pairing SMRs with data centers.
The road hasn't been without setbacks. In 2025, Carbone pushed through a similar measure, House Bill 2774, that would have streamlined SMR permitting for reactors built alongside large industrial users.
However, the bill made it through the legislature but was ultimately vetoed by Governor Katie Hobbs (D-AZ), putting the effort back at square one and setting the stage for this year's renewed push.
Continued Effort
Arizona does have a head start in one important respect. Palo Verde Generating Station ranks among the most productive nuclear facilities in the entire country and already serves millions of customers across the Southwest.
Carbone says the state's existing infrastructure makes it a natural launching pad for what comes next, but only if the policy framework catches up.
"I will keep fighting to make sure our state has the power it needs to grow and prosper," he said.
