PHOENIX (AP) — Managers of a three-reactor nuclear plant that went online in the 1980s are exploring whether production of hydrogen gas will be part of its future.
An idea being explored for the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station is to use seasonally surplus electricity from the plant located in the desert west of Phoenix to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen gas, the Arizona Republic reports .
Uses for the gas could include powering fuel-cell cars and trucks or providing to nearby natural-gas plants that generate electricity.
The contemplated production of hydrogen stems from the fact that increased availability of solar power means Palo Verde's electricity production isn't needed as much during mild spring and fall weather as during the summer when air conditioners run full
