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NuScale Power Achieves Standard Design Approval from NRC for 77 MW SMR

LCG, May 30, 2025--NuScale Power Corporation (NuScale), a leading provider of advanced small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear technology, yesterday announced that it has received design approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its uprated 77 MW power modules. NuScale states that it remains the only SMR technology company with design approval from the NRC, and the company remains on track for deployment by 2030, with 50- and 77-MW SMR options.

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EIA Presents Analysis of California's Solar and Wind Power Curtailment Challenges

LCG, May 29, 2025--The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released an analysis yesterday showing that the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), the grid operator for most of the state, is increasing its curtailment of the rapidly growing solar- and wind-powered generation facilities in order to balance electricity supply and demand, which is necessary to maintain a stable electric system.

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Industry News

Surviving and ThrivingIn the RTO/ISO Environment

Dr. Rajat K. Deb, head of LCG Consulting and publisher of EnergyOnline Daily News, is author with some of his staff of an article, Surviving and Thriving in the RTO Revolution, appearing in the February 1 issue of Public Utilities Fortnightly. He was asked to share some of his thoughts with our readers.

By Rajat K. Deb

LCG, Feb. 9, 2001-In Order 2000, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) requires Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs), including for-profit Transcos and non-profit Independent System Operators, to meet a number of criteria in their design, implementation, and management of the transmission grid. But to survive and thrive, RTO must learn to do much more and with better tools attuned to the task.

On the surface, RTOs perform a concise list of transmission-related functions, assigned to them by the FERC. First, RTOs must to design and collect transmission tariffs. Second, RTOs must manage various functions of grid operations in the short term, such as congestion, ancillary services, loop flows, and OASIS the interface with the grid customer. At the same time, RTOs will take the lead in long-term planning for future grid design and construction. And finally, the RTO acts as the official regional transmission "czar," coordinating grid operations with other regions and overseeing the efficiency and fairness of regional markets.

Yet the real job of running an RTO may prove more complex. Consider the events of last year in California and the West, and the difficulties experienced by the California Independent System Operator. This experience suggests that the job of the RTO goes far beyond the managing the nominal transmission sector.

Like it or not, RTOs inevitably must engage in integrated resource planning. Of course, it is true that under a market-driven restructuring, the choice and manner of deployment of generation and transmission capacity represent separate business decisions. Yet, these two segments remain interdependent.

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