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EPA Announces Proposed Rule Action to Revise ELG's and Support Reliable, Affordable Coal-fired Power Plants

LCG, May 14, 2026--The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it is proposing a rule to revise wastewater limits, known as effluent limitations guidelines (ELG), for steam electric power plants that will help improve grid reliability and lower electricity prices while continuing to support clean and safe water resources. If finalized, the EPA's proposal is estimated to reduce electricity generation costs by as much as $1.1 billion annually, which could provide cost-savings to American consumers.

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DOE Awards $94 Million to Eight American Companies to Accelerate SMR Deployments and Develop Supply Chain

LCG, May 14, 2026--The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the selection of eight companies to support the near-term deployment of advanced light-water small modular reactors (SMRs) in the United States. The DOE states that awardees will collectively receive more than $94 million in Federal cost-shared funding to spur additional Gen III+ SMR deployments by addressing key gaps that have hindered the domestic nuclear industry in licensing, supply chain, and site preparation.

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Industry News

California Water Agency Wants $18 Billion for Power

LCG, Nov. 7, 2001--The California Department of Water Resources, the agency which has been buying electricity on behalf of the state's cash-strapped investor-owned utilities, said yesterday it needs $18 billion to cover emergency power purchases.

At the same time, state Treasurer Phil Angelides said he would meet this week with state regulators in an effort to get them to take necessary action for California to issue $12.5 billion in bonds to pay for some $7 billion in power already purchased and consumed and to back up long term contracts reaching as far as 20 years into the future.

The water agency said the $18 billion it needs would cover $10 billion from revenues to be collected from customers of investor-owned utilities, $7.8 billion from proceeds of advances from the state's general fund, and $160 million from sales to other utilities.

Angelides, in a Santa Monica press conference, said that unless the general fund is repaid, popular programs such as increased aid for education might have to be abandoned.

"This bond issue must get done," Angelides told reporters. He said failure to issue the bonds would cause "monumental" damage to schools and many other essential public services.

California had originally intended to market the bonds in May, and Gov. Gray Davis had at that time "guaranteed" that the general fund would be repaid not later than June 30. The bond issue was delayed several times, with the latest "inviolate" deadline set as October 31. That deadline, like the others, was violated.

Under state law, the California Public Utilities Commission must approve details of the water agency's needs before the bonds can be marketed. The regulators' most recent objection has been that the bond issue would lock the state into paying $43 billion for the long-term power purchases now that market prices for electricity are much less than they were when the contracts were negotiated.

Loretta Lynch, president of the CPUC, yesterday repeated her call to renegotiate the state's long-term power contracts, saying such talks should cover price, length, quantities and even contractual language.

"We have some very good legal arguments. We have some very good practical arguments," she said. "We need to go back to reform these contracts."

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